Ten vocational high school students will study authentic Rhodope folklore in a village singing workshop directly from the source
Between 9 and 14 July 2018, ten girls and boys engaged in folk singing will immerse themselves in the local folklore and lifestyle of the village of Dryanovo, Luki Municipality. The students, between the ages of 14 and 19, are from CHP (Municipal Children's Complex) Chepelare and the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music and Dance, Plovdiv. They will spend five days in the village, where they will study the songs of the Dryanovo grandmothers during daily singing rehearsal workshops - they will learn more about their history, local folklore and customs from the source. At the end of the workshop the singing group together with the students will make a concert for the villagers.
The initiators of the association NISHAN they believe that this experience will be extremely interesting and useful for the young participants in the project, because it will immerse them completely in the local life and culture and introduce them to songs that they would not have the opportunity to learn otherwise.
Who are the Dryanovo grandmothers?
The "Dryanovo Grandmothers" are 10 women who make up the amateur singing group in the village of Dryanovo, Luki Municipality. The singing group has a long tradition, and in its current composition it has existed since 2008. Since then it has won numerous awards at concerts all over Bulgaria. Older women support the singing group through community and enthusiasm, with rehearsals and trips associated with it being one of the few community activities in the village.
Their songs are authentic Rhodope folklore - some are famous tunes and others are unknown to the general public and are restored to the memories of the elderly people of the village. Thanks to the initiative of Elena Stoycheva and Velina Petrarka, who were part of the first initiative Grandma's Residence to the association Ideas Factory, 38 from the songs of The Dryanovo Grandmothers were recorded at a professional studio in Sofia in 2016, after which a disc with 23 was released. One of the greatest joys of women is to see that their folklore is also liked by the young and that the modern generation has a desire to continue the old traditions.
Who are we?
The mission of the NISHAN Association is to immerse everyone in the Bulgarian traditional culture, choosing the most appropriate way for themselves. We believe that the place of Bulgarian traditions is not only in books and we know from experience that the best way to get to know them is through experience. Our ideal goal is to preserve traditions and customs through their natural transmission to our contemporaries.
