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Snejanka Borissova

'Shoppe Region - Bulgarian Folk Heritage'

Snejana Borissova - voice

With:
Kunka Zhelyazkova - voice
Lozenki Quintet
Trio Snejanka Borissova
Sorina Bogomilova - voice

Arr. and cond, by B. Nankov (1,7), K. Kolev (2,9,22), H. Radanov (4,10,13,23,25).
M. Yordanov (18 ).
Arr. by D. Penev (5,16,21), S. Baltakov (6). G Andreev (8, 11, 17,27),
B. Nankov (15. 24), R. Genkov (19,20), Music by S. Dragostinov (12,26).
Cond. by S. Velchkov (3, 14). M. Yordaoov (6), H. Radanov (8,11,17,19,20,27), D, Pannyotov (15, 24).
Acc by Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio Folk Song Ensemble (1,2,4, 7-11,13,15, 17,19,20,22-25,27).
Instrumental Group (3, 14), D. Lavchev - gadulka (5,21), I. Mihov - dvoyanka (16),
Orchestra of Philip Koutev Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances (6,18).

Extract from sleeve notes:
'The art of Snejanka BORISSOVA is well-known to all admirers of Bulgarian folk music. Even if you have heard her name for the first time, it is quite possible that the sound of her voice might be familiar to you. A song from her repertoire, "Chichovire konye", whose original version is included in the present release, has been incorporated in the soundtrack to Goran Bregovich's movie "Underground". A quartet of Bulgarian women-singers, Snejanka among them, and the Bregovich orchestra presented a concert version of his film music in such prestigious concert halls throughout the world as Olympia in Paris, Royal Festival Hall in London, Santa Cecillia in Rome and on the Acropolis in Athens. She performed the vocal parts in movie co-productions, including the Italian-American "Saint Paul" and "Julius Caesar", and the Italian "The Black Curtain" and "Lourdes", all of them on music by Carlo Silicate.

At home Snejanka Borissova has long won the fame of a singer who is always ready to experiment-starting with her performance of arrangements by Dimitar Penev as part of 'Trio Bulgarka - Penev' to her most recent recordings of music in ethno-techno-folk style.

All these make up the unusual yet fascinating the biography of the singer who was among the soloists of the Philip Koutev Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances for nearly two decades, between 1982 and 2001. For this period she enriched the Ensemble's programmes with many songs from her native village of Lozen and its neighbouring Busmantsi, German, Pasarel, and Zheleznitsa. This is where the roots of not only her life but that of her songs lie.

The album contains a selection of the best two-part samples in her repertoire: "Oi, .shoppe, shoppe". "Poide Gera", "Ima, nema", "Gramnalo, tre.snalo"' and, quite naturally, "Chichovite konve". Of particular interest are the so called "roaring" songs. In the present release we shall hear several of them: "A) maxi, raztsufte se" and the already mentioned "Nena ima tsurni ochi" together with "Mori maikva Yana sitno plela". The melody of the "roaring" songs is performed with characteristic "whoops", imitating the barking of a dog. In them you will also hear tongue twisters which, in this case, are meaningless combinations of words. In terms of their function, the "roaring" songs are work songs. They are performed during the working day. In their original sound. not only do these witty musical inventions bring joy to the folk art admires but they also represent a unique sample of the Bulgarian centuries-old folk culture.

Among the titles the listener will find many solo songs, sung in accompaniment of various instrumental formations. There are also some custom songs. Since times of yore, while kneading the ritual Christmas-tide breads "Zakukala kukuvitsa" was performed. "Premenila se Vassila" was sung at the maidens' well-wishing on St. Basil's Day and "Po pole odime", during the spring Peperuda (prayer for rain) folk custom. Present also are the working-bee party songs "Slantseto treperi ", "Lilyno, ranobudnitse" and "Naramila bola Deka ". As long as the singer remembers, the slow song "Nishna se zvezda" used to accompany a significant moment from the wedding custom. i.e. offering gifts by the newly-wed to the godfather and godmother, while "Sekoi fall" is an epic song.
The songs included in the release feature great metric variety as well. They are both fast. horn-leading songs like "Zaigrala Dena" (11/8), "Otishlo e ludo mlado" (7/8), etc. and measureless melodies like "Yano, zashto si tuna begala", "Nishna se zvesda", and "Nena ima tsurni ochi". The arrangements are made by musicians prominent in the sphere like Kosta Kolev, Stefan Dragostinov, Boyan Nankov. Hristofor Radanov, Georgi Andreev and Dimitar Penev. among others. The CD also includes two of the singer's most recent recordings made in May 2002, "Naramila bela Deka" and "Oi Gine, Gine", arranged by Rossen Genkov.

It is possible that sometimes the music prepares the senses in such a way that to enrich one's perception. Yet nothing can replace the living contact with the vitality of this characteristic singer from the Shoppe region and her original songs'
Albena Bezovska

GBP 8.97

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Snejanka Borissova

'Shoppe Region - Bulgarian Folk Heritage'

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. Raztsufte se bela Ruzha (3'15") 2. Po pole odime (1'36") 3. Sekoi fali Milya zagoryanka (4'08") 4. Oi, shope, shope (2'15") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 5. Nishna se zvezda (2'56") 6. Premenila se Vassila (2'25") 7. Yano, zashto si rano begala (2'52") 8. Poide Gera ( 2'14") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 9. Lilyano, ranobudnitse (2'39") 10. Omraknala moma (2'02") 11. Ima, nema (2'32") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 12. Ai, mari, raztsufte se (1'46") Perf. by Lozenki Quintet 13. Zaigrala Dena (2'39") 14. Razsardila se Dimana (3'04") 15. Sednali sa mi dva svata (2'39") 16. Nena ima tsurni ochi (3'03") 17. Zakukala kukuvitsa (2'20") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 18. Slantseto treperi (2'10") 19. Naramila bela Deka (1'54") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 20. Oi Gine, Gine (1'43") 21. Maika Yana na daleko dava (2'34") 22. Gyuro pleni zemya armanashka (2'21") 23. Otishlo e ludo mlado (1'21") 24. Gramnalo, tresnalo (3'18") Trio Snejanka Borissova, Kunka Zhelyazkova and Sorina Bogomilova 25. Sokol mi litna, Yano (2'25") Duet with Kunka Zhelyazkova 26. Mori, maikya Yana sitno plela (1'43") Perf. by Lozenki Quintet 27. Chichovite konye (2'36")

Duration (65'43")

Our mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long and of low(ish) quality for a fast download (file size app 300KB)