The folk fusion band Oratnitza is to celebrate its fifth birthday with lots of music and good mood. Musicians have invited colleagues and friends who are to appear on stage. Among them are: VoxBox, Acid Folk Five, Kotarashky DJ Set, Kipri ensemble and Zhar dance ensemble. The concert will take place in Mixtape 5 club in Sofia on December 12. 

 
Five years is not a long period for a band. For Oratnitza it was a successful start as it became popular with its original music, winning a number of fans in Bulgaria and abroad and recording a debut album. Each concert is a celebration for the fans who are able to rediscover Bulgaria’s authentic folklore in modern genres such as hip-hop, D'n'B and dubstep. The music of Oratnitza is easily recognizable but people often pronounce the name of the band differently, not knowing what it means.

"In principle, Oratnitza is an old folk custom, which takes place in the days of Shrovetide. This is a pagan ritual used to cleanse the soul and body of a man with fire. The word itself comes from the Shoppe dialect, so the emphasis is on the first syllable. We liked the name because of the symbolism it carries. We have been to a number of places for these five years and concerts have always been emotional,” says Hristiyan.

Petar of Oratnitza band adds: "I was most impressed during our participation in Malaysia. We were at a festival with bands from almost all over the world and presented our music with singers from the Kipri ensemble. Our audience listened very carefully, and then people applauded us, impressed by the Bulgarian tunes and songs. Some knew about The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices Choir and Bulgarian choral and folk music. They were surprised we were using didgeridoo and asked us if it was a traditional instrument for Bulgarian folklore." 
 
Oratnitza includes four boys: Hristiyan, Petar /Bunny/, Ivan /Popa/ and Georgi /Jorge/. They are doing interpretations on Bulgarian folklore, playing flute, drum, the Peruvian cajon and Australian didgeridoo.

The debut album of Oratnitza was released also outside Bulgaria. It has been aired by radio stations on six continents and received positive reviews in the most prestigious ethno music magazines - fRoots, Songlines, Folk Forum. It is also popular on the Internet.

More from Hristiyan: "I think that good music should have alternative ways to reach people. We took advantage of the offer of the Zamunda torrent site to participate in their campaign, which aims to promote Bulgarian artists. We had a video on the site and the debut album was available there. We keep performing the songs of this album but have started working on a new album. I think he will be a big step and will give new life to the band. We plan to release it in the beginning of 2015. There will be folk songs, some of them with more original flavor such as hop-hop."

Oratnitza band has been actively rehearsing to convey to the audience the magic of their music, which is charged with positive mood and cannot leave you indifferent. “We have invited so many guests to our birthday on 12 December that some had already asked us if we were going to perform. Our answer is “Yes”, say the members of the band.

English: Alexander Markov