BULGARIA AS IT IS!

Bistritsa Babi — The Grandmothers of Bistritsa

The Bistritsa Babi preserve the musical memory of the Shopluk region through polyphonic singing, circle dances and rituals. UNESCO inscribed this living tradition in 2008.

3 chapters1 source

Bistritsa Babi — The Grandmothers of Bistritsa — paper-cutout illustration

Voices from Shopluk

The Bistritsa Babi perform traditional polyphonic singing from Shopluk. One or two voices lead the melody while the others sustain a long drone. The resulting dense sound differs from a song sung in unison.

Song, dance and ritual

The tradition includes circle dances in which dancers hold one another around the waist or by their belts. Ritual practices such as lazaruvane form part of the repertoire. Singing, dancing and calendar customs belong to one local culture rather than separate stage acts.

Memory passed on

The group now also performs on stage, but its significance for Bistritsa remains rooted in the community. UNESCO added the Bistritsa Babi’s polyphony, dances and rituals to the Representative List in 2008, noting efforts to pass them on to young people.

NEXT TRADITIONBulgarian Bagpipe Tradition

Sources and credits

Publications

Historical information, local examples and current practices were checked against these publications.

ЮНЕСКО — Bistritsa Babi, archaic polyphony, dances and rituals

Illustration

Created with ImageGen for СБОРЪ.БГ. An artistic interpretation of the custom, rather than a documentary photograph.

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