Polifonie “in viva voce” 10
The Intercultural Institute of Comparative Music Studies has organised a seminar and concert on the theme of female polyphonic traditions in Bulgaria for the “in viva voce” series, now in its tenth edition.
The seminar will be attended by the experts Nicolay Kaufmann and Mila Santova from the Sofia Academy of Sciences, and the evening concert will feature the nine-member group called Bistritsa Babi (“Grandmothers of Bistritsa”).
The Bistritsa Babi play a major part in keeping alive the very long-standing cultural traditions in the Bulgarian region of Vitosha. In doing so, they have revived the archaic diaphony called Shoppepolyphony, old chain dances (horo) and a ritual practice called Lazaruvane, a special initiation ceremony for young women. Shoppe polyphony is a specific kind of singing involving developing a melody made up of a zvikva(cry or call) and bouchikrivo(growl, evil roar), while the other performers sing a sustained drone.
One unusual feature of the Bistritsa Babi’s polyphonic singing is the lack of synchrony between singing and dancing. Dressed in hand-made traditional costumes, the dancers move in a circle with light steps, usually holding each other by the waist, in an anticlockwise direction with several variations according to the song being performed and the ritual practice. Although the social function of this polyphonic singing changed in
the 20th century as staged performances took over, Bistritsa Babi are still a key element in the cultural life of their region and are an invaluable expression of a traditional culture for the new generations.
Proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the “masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity”, these “grandmothers” are rare representatives of traditional polyphony and the village of Bistritsa is one of the last places in Bulgaria where the performance of this art and its transmission to the next generation has continued over the centuries up to the present day.
