The Rhythm of the Balkans is probably one of the most remarkable concert series of the Bulgarian National Radio Folk Music Orchestra. Its headliners include famous musicians from across the Balkan region. In this feature we present several pieces recorded last April. Soloists come from Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

The atmosphere of the concert was unique charged with the enthusiasm of performers and with a special contact between them and the audience. We hope the live recordings will convey at least part of it.

Famous kemence player Derya Turkan from Turkey gives concerts across the world. In the program that we present he performed in a few pieces. One of them was Nikriz Kasap, arrangement by Georgi Andreev.

Our choice of a Bulgarian folk-style melody is Meshanitsa composed by Angel Dobrev, rebec player and one of the BNR Folk Music Orchestra soloists.

Frula is woodwind instrument not unlike the Bulgarian shepherd's flute (kaval). The Rhythm of the Balkans series presented one of the most famous frula virtuosos, Bora Dugic from Serbia. In the piece Igra Skakavica he is soloist together with fellow countryman Boban Prodanovic, accordion.

Virtuoso accordionist Milan Zavkov is conductor of the Tanec folklore ensemble in Skopje. Here we present the wonderful Radino Oro on arrangement by Dimitar Hristov.

This presentation of live recordings from the Rhythm of the Balkans concert series winds up with Arap, the name of a chain dance in Pirin. The piece was written especially for the concert to feature all its soloists. Here you can listen to Kyriakos Tapakis from Greece playing the oud.

English Daniela Konstantinova

The audio file contains the following pieces of music:

1. Folklore Variations, music by Georgi Andreev, performed by the BNR Folk Music Orchestra, conductor Dimitar Hristov (Bulgaria)

2. Nikriz Kasap, arrangement by Georgi Andreev, performed by Derya Turkan (Turkey)

3. Meshanitsa composed by Angel Dobrev, BNR Folk Music Orchestra (Bulgaria)

4. Igra Skakavica, Bora Dugic, frula, and Boban Prodanovic, accordion (Serbia)

5. Radino Oro, arrangement by Dimitar Hristov, performed by Milan Zavkov, accordion (Republic of Macedonia)

6. Arap, Kyriakos Tapakis, oud (Greece)