Rila Music Exchange Bulgaria II Musical Exchange

“Rila Music Exchange is a small, intimate music week for 20-25 musicians with focus on Bulgarian folk music. We have been in Rila every first week in September since 2012 and made a lot of connections and developed relations to the local people in the village. We try to connect the old and young ones, the Roma population and the Bulgarian, and foreigners with locals through traditional music by playing concerts, dancing and having workshops with Bulgarian folk musicians and all locals who want to. Every year is different and we can’t know exactly what will happen every year, it’s a living organism that develops in to something even more beautiful every year 🙂 It was started by the initiative of Myriam de Bonte and Sofia Högstadius, based on their love and interest of Bulgarian music and culture and developed in the hands of Bulgarian Rila mother Daniela Dikova. Rila Music Exchange found it’s true shape last couple of years focusing more and more on Bulgarian music and songs with guest teacher Vladimir Vladimirov (tambura) and not to forget musical mentor Kieren Alexander (accordion) who’s been with us every year and made Rila in to the open, friendly and amazing place it is! Every year, the old babas of Rila tell us “I really hope I’m alive next year so I can hear you play again”…”

“RILA MUSIC EXCHANGE is a workshop for young ethno musicians of all nationalities who forgather in Rila in the mountains of southwest Bulgaria, to learn and perform folk music from around the world in general and from Bulgaria in particular. For nine days they practice with mentors and local amateur folk music ensembles. The project ends with concerts in Rila and other near villages. This video, made by Göran Setterberg in collaboration with Agneta Högstadius, is from 6–9th of September 2017. Length 20 minutes.”

11988569_1683121575255101_2681566574930190411_nRila Music Exchange was founded in 2012 by Myriam De Bonte (Belgium), Daniela Dikova (Bulgaria), Geoffrey Dean (USA) and Sofia Högstadius (Sweden). Since then, Rila Music Exchange has grown in to a intimate musical exchange experience with focus on Bulgarian folk music in the village Rila in the Bulgarian mountains. We visit different villages and learn from both locals and professional Bulgarian folk musicians.

In our fifth edition in September 2016, we had the great privelige of focusing on Bulgarian traditional music with guest teachers Radka Stefanova (voice) and Ivan Stefanov (gadulka) for two days and the rest of the week learning from Vladimir Vladimirov (tambura). We played concerts in different villages surrounding Rila and finished with playing at the village festival in Kurtovo Konare.

Read about Rila Music Exchange 2016 in Bulgarian media:

Музикална банда от град Рила, смесица от от 25 участника от 15 страни от цял свят, предизвика истински фурор във втората фестивална вечер за Празника на лютеницата в Куртово Конаре. Те пяха и свириха автентични български народни песни и играеха хоро, което се хареса на публиката и аплодисментите не стихваха.

Ръководител на групата е Даниела Гигова от София, но се развиват и репетират в град Рила, област Благоевград. Те са специални гости на Фестивала на чушките и доматите в Куртово за втора поредна година. Преди пет години Даниела, чрез неправатилствена организация и Министерството на културата решават да сформират тази група и да развиват и пазят българския фолклор, разказа Даниела. Всяка година в началото на септември вземат участие в международен фестивал, който се провежда в района на Рила, но също така ходят по участия в различните населени места и градове в региона, където също се радват на завиден интерес. Последните им преди Куртово Конаре са в селата Стоб (селото на Стобските пирамиди) и Павел в Югозапада.

Надяват се и следващата година да дойдат отново, за да покажат научените песни и хора в селекцията им. Тази вечер те се раздадоха и публиката изви още едно голямо Куртовско хоро съвсем спонтанно. Всички заедно пяха и се веселиха до късни доби.
А утре от 10,00  до 16,00 часа фестивалът продължава с акцент за децата и много игри и забави за тях. Сред местните дечица от селото Марта Жекова, ръководител на клуб “Малките репортери” към читалището там, ще избере най-добрите фотографии, заснети от малчуганите по темата на фестивала./Марица.бг.

 

In 2015, the camp was led by the Artistic Leaders Sofia Högstadius and Kieren Alexander, organized by Daniela Dikova and Myriam Debonte and had 20 participants from all over Europe and Chile. Every year the project grows and focuses on different exchanges, this year we were very happy to include the Romani population in our exchange, as well as local children’s Bulgarian folk choir, women’s choirs and local musicians. We also performed in Rila, Pastra, Smochevo, Folk Festival Kurtovo Konare and the ancient city Plovdiv.

Guest teachers were Vladimir Vladimirov, tambura, Vili Chauseva, Bulgarian folk singing and Vladimir Chiflidzhanov, bagpipes. (and our wonderful bonus teacher, Veli Chausev, tambura!)

Earlier years has included guest teachers such as Valeri Dimchev, tambura and Desislava Dimcheva, Bulgarian folk singing.

For more info, visit Rila Music Exchange Facebook