Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

So be it!

Christmas Buenek horo dance – a special gift from BNR

Photo: bojentsi.com/bg

“Sat the mother of God on a mound to bestow gold and silver. To one she gave with a spoon, to another with a bowl, and to these people here she gave the whole cart! Now, say ye my friends: So be it! (All: "So be it!")”

The Koledari (carol singers) and their Christmas blessings on today's festive day have the "magical" power to bring health, abundance and good luck. The whole village resounds with the boys’ songs as they walk between the houses, and visit each home to give its inhabitants their Christmas blessings.

And just like the carol singers, we at Radio Bulgaria will now enter your homes with "Christmas Buenek" and "Slow Melody" - two of the latest recordings of the Bulgarian National Radio Folk Music Orchestra conducted by Dimitar Hristov - a special Christmas gift to our listeners from the musicians and the production team of BNR.

Soloist is the famous bagpiper Nedko Tsarev - a brilliant instrumentalist, involved in a number of projects, a long-time teacher at the National School of Arts "Dobri Hristov" - Varna. Nedko Tsarev is also the author of the two pieces written in the style of Bulgarian traditional music. The arrangement is by Angel Dobrev.


Buenek is a boisterous, horo chain dance which is played during Lent. It is danced in a curved line, not in a circle, as is the more usual way of horo dancing. It is performed mostly by young men, who dance with fast small steps, tapping and leading the chain in a weaving line.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

LOST in HILLS electronic music festival kicks off in Plovdiv

In the City of the Seven Hills - Plovdiv, the music festival LOST in HILLS is about to begin . The electronic music event will be held on June 8 and 9. The two-day programme on the picturesque Bunardzhika hill will feature over 40 artists performing on..

published on 6/8/24 8:15 AM

Expect summer temperatures this weekend

Saturday will be sunny. In the afternoon, there will be temporary clouds over the mountains in western Bulgaria, with rain in some areas. Lows will be between 15 and 20°C, with 16°C in Sofia. Highs will be in the 30-35°C range , reaching 30°C in the..

published on 6/7/24 7:05 PM

Miro and "Love Like Sky"

Shortly after presenting the ballad "Byagame", Miro was not late with another new song. Even its title “Lyubov kato nebe” (Love like sky) takes us to the upcoming summer. This time the song has the sound characteristic of the late 80s and 90s..

published on 6/4/24 5:22 PM