Friday, September 4, 2015

International presentation of Ensemble "Dobrudzha" and "Drastar-2012" Chitalishte from Silistra

Participation of Ensemble "Dobrudzha" and Chitalishte "Drustur-2012" in the Summer cultural days in the Municipality of Imathia, Central Macedonia region - 28-30/08/2015 and in the "Balkan square" Art festival in Thessaloniki - 30/09/-01/09/2015, in Greece

The Balkan Square festival is a well known festival of the Municipality of Neapolis and Sykies in Thessaloniki which started in 2000 and runs once a year ever since. Its purpose is to bring the people from the Balkan countries together in order to leave in the past what has separated in the past, Balkan and World Wars and tented to alienate them. The Balkan Square festival runs in the late August and the first week of September every year.
Representatives of the Balkan countries who participate in this festival over the years have proven that through culture, literature, dance, music, singing, arts etc. Balkan people can unite, and bring together their diverse cultures. It is a proof that Balkans can be and is a common home for all of us who can work together to achieve things as we have nothing that separates us.
The spirit of the festival evolves with music, dance, theater, literature, history events that take place and aims to give the message of life, of culture, of brotherhood, friendship and cooperation between the people of the Balkans and especially the young people.
The Balkan Square festival has won the love of the people of Thessaloniki and this is obvious through all these years from the participation in the events that are taking place every year.

Memories from Thessaloniki, Balkan square Festival, 2015
The summer cultural days in Naoussa, Imathia, Greece are organized by the Mayor of the city Mr Karambatzos Tassos. The event is following the end of the famous "Naoussa peaches" harvesting. Naoussa has been proven to be the ideal place of peaches cultivation as the climate and the soil contribute to the special color, rich aroma and to the distinctive taste. An important fact is that the best varieties of peaches, since the recent reconstruction of the varieties, are produced here. Consequently, the peaches which are produced in Naoussa have been recognized as Products with Protective Designation of Origin (P.D.O), and they are unique as they are the only in Greece and of few in Europe with this accreditation. 
  Video from the Naoussa feast prezentation on 28-29/08/2015. 



Sunday, June 21, 2015

National Folk Festival ‘Rozhen 2015′

The Rozhen Festival is held every 4 years in July or August but the last time it was in 2006. That’s why you can’t miss this year’s edition in 17-19 July. The festival attracts traditional singers and musicians from all over Bulgaria. A distinctive symbol of the Rozhen Festival is the orchestra Sto Kaba Gaydi (One Hundred Bagpipes) which is going to melt your heart with the sound of their music. The festival presents the traditional folklore music and dances from the Rhodope region. It is a must-attend event if you want to feel the authentic Rhodope experience.

 This year’s program includes many surprises. The famous folk choir “Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria” will perform the anthem of the Rhodope Mountains “Bela sum, bela, yunache”, followed by the “cosmic” singer Valya Balkanska and her unique performance of “Izlel e Delio haydutin” accompanied with two girl-singers.
Rozhen Festival’s 2015 program includes a folk competition for authentic folklore and ethnic culture, demonstrations of traditional crafts, some ethnographic and museum exhibitions, animals exhibition, traditional mil and meat products from the farm, organic food and drinks exhibition, culinary shows and barbeque, horse activities, folk festivities and fire games as well.
Every 4th year in August, Bulgarians of all over the country gather below the peak of Rozhen (near Smolyan) for a festival, where singers and instrumentalists sing and play on a several scenes.
 

Rozhen fest

The tradition of Rozhen Fest dates back to a hundred years ago. The first Festival was held in 1898. The idea was given by father Angel Indzhov – a priest of the village of Sokolovtsi. He appealed to all his parishioners to honor all the saints of the Rozhen chapels on the day of St. Panteleymon” – the 27 July, near the Chapel “St. Kirik and Yulita”, where the Festival is held to the present day. At those times the border between Bulgaria and the Ottoman empire led through the mount of Rozhen. There gathered the inhabitants of three artificially divided surrounding villages – Progled, in Bulgaria, and Momchilovtsi and Sokolovtsi on the Turkish side of the border. They gathered for family meetings and sang folk songs in the accompaniment of bagpipes, baked the traditional Bulgarian Lamb dish – Whole Lamb on the Fire.
After the year 1912 (liberation of the Rhodope mountain from Ottoman dominion), the Rozhen Fest lost its political meaning, and acquired by chance regarding the borderline, but retained the spirit of tradition, the time and venue, as a forum for the people from the middle Rhodope mountain. More and more family and friendly meetings of the Rhodopeans inside the country were held.
Nowadays a symbol of the festival is the distinctive orchestra called Sto Kaba Gaydi (One Hundred Bagpipes), founded in 1961. The bagpipers, who participate in the orchestra, are from various villages in the Rhodope mountain. They gather on the eve of the festival and make a single joint rehearsal.
The Rozhen festival allows artistic expression of numerous known and unknown performers from the Rhodope mountain. The song Izlel e Delyo Haydutin (Delyo the Haidouk Came Out) originates from Rozhen and was performed by Valya Balkanska, to land on the board of the space station Voyager, along with the music of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.
Over the years the Rozhen Festival became a nationwide singing competition festival for Bulgarian folk music. Folk singers and instrumentalists from all over the country gather to sing and play on the scenes of the biggest festival of folk songs in Bulgaria. The fest lasts for two days. The anthem of the Rhodope is its opening song – Bela Sam, Bela, Yunache (I am White, White, and My Hero) under the accompaniment of One Hundred Bagpipes. The culmination of the competition is the gala show Zvezden Rozhen (Star Rhozen) in the evening of the first day.
 

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Rhythm in the gallery

Elegance, beauty, aesthetics and tenderness showed young people from Silistra - the ballet group "Dreamers"

'Rhythm in the gallery' is a project implemented by the informal youth group Dreamers - students from B2 Ballet and Dreaming Ballet headed by Ms. Boriana Kyoseva.

"Dreamers" youth group - students from the "B2" Ballet and "Dreaming"
ballet, Photo: Elena Tcherneva
On May 8, 2015 at the Silistra Art Gallery the Dreamers presented their performance of songs, dances ballet and chamber music on accordion, piano and guitar.The program was filled with the energy of young people, which made us speechless to admire. Energy charge that they disarm and instantly made to fall in love, to suffer, to enjoy, to feelm to live. 

Thank you young people that gave us the opportunity to experience such intense emotions for a lifetime in a few short hours. And - made us feel!

Pictures: Thanks to Elena Cherneva.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Easter concert featuring the Folklore Ensemble "Dobrudzha" in Budapest



Easter concert featuring the Bulgarian talents of Folklore Ensemble "Dobrudzha" (Silistra) with artistic director Mr Dimitar Dzhambazov, the  Ballet "Impulse" (Ruse), the vocal ensemble "Viva teens" (Tutrakan) and the vocal group "Prista" (Ruse) took place the evening of April 8, 2015 in Budapest in the building of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute.

The concert was a gift for many Bulgarians living in Hungary and came to enjoy the performance of the groups. Ensemble "Dobrudzha" perform traditional Dobrudzha’ dances.

All participants were able to touch our countrymen on the eve of Easter - there were tears, there was unrest, there was dancing, there was applause, there was so much Bulgarian energy.
Earlier the same day Ensemble "Dobrudzha" participated in the program of "Days of Bulgaria" with folk dance program in the Central Market Hall of Budapest. Besides those who came especially Bulgarians and many passing Hungarians and guests applauded the talent of our dancers and took part of Dobrudza “pravo horo” dance.

Before returning back to Bulgaria, the children and their menagers traveled to Vienna and the sights of the city.


"HUNGARY-BUDAPEST AND AUSTRIA-VIENNA, wonderful emotions and experience," said Dimitar Djambazov after returning to Silistra.



Photos: D. Dimitrova D. Djambazov



 
 





Orthodox EASTER 2015

Easter
The Bulgarian Orthodox church celebrated this Sunday with massive feasts and prayer to commemorate the end of Lent and the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven.
The Orthodox church is the third largest Christian church in the world with 200 million to 300 million followers. It is based mostly in Eastern Europe, Russia and the Balkans and in Bulgaria too.
Because Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar, they celebrate their holy commemorations on days different than most Christians, who follow the Gregorian calendar. 

Easter eggs and sweet breads (kozunak) are actually a religious part of Orthodox Easter and are handed out in the millions on Easter. In Bulgaria the eggs are painted mostly in red to symbolize the blood of Christ.



Easter Holy breads (Kozunak)  

Pic: Thinkstock/Guliver Photos



Why in Bulgaria we celebrate Easter differently from other Christians?

Jesus Christ was resurrected after the Jewish Paques, so the Christian holiday is dependent on Jewish. Paques, or Pesach is the holiday in connection with the Exodus from Egypt. The First Ecumenical Council of 325, it was decided the Resurrection of Christ to celebrate on Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox. If Easter for some reason can not be on Sunday after Passover, then according to the decisions of the council should be celebrated one month later. Until the entry into force of the Gregorian calendar in the fourteenth century there was no difference between eastern and western Easter. West Catholics and Protestants calculate the date of Easter on it. While our church for moving holidays like Easter guided by the old Julian calendar, and to still the so called corrected Julian corrected in the 20s of last century by Greek astronomers. It is guided and other Orthodox Christians. Exception of Jerusalem, Russian and Serbian Orthodox Church. 
It is correct to say western and eastern, not Catholic and Orthodox Easter, because the West and Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter on the same Sunday, while in the East there are differences. Ancient Chalcedon as Armenian churches celebrate Easter on the Gregorian calendar, and some Protestants as a Pentecostal church in Bulgaria - together with the Orthodox. So there is no unity in the East nor the West. But in some years, Western and Eastern celebration of Easter coincide.
Autor: Prof. Archpriest Nikolay Shivarov

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Mr Dimitar Djambazov is the new Chairman of Chitalishte "Drastar-2012"


Mr Dimitar Dzhambazov
On the eve of the feast of the Annunciation of 03.24.2015 the Chitalishte "Drastar-2012" have organized the 2014 annual general and election meeting. The members elected Mr Dimitar Dimov Djambazov for the new Chairman. The reports for the implementation of the 2014 annual action plan and budget and 2015 annual action plan and budget were approved. The most important in 2014 was receiving from Municipal Hall the facilities including concert hall. Facilities are located in Silistra on the 2 "Hristo Smirnenski" str. and requires major repair and renovation. The Chitalishte Board will look for sponsors, donors and funding programs with opportunities to carry out the renovation. The members of the Chitalishte are willing to participate with their own work and time. The renovation of the building will be included into the Municipality of Silistra development plan up to 2020 in order to seek funding under the operational programs for 2014-2020 jointly.

President-elect said he would give up on their efforts for the future of Chitalishte "Drustur-2012". Mr Dimitar Dzhambazov is 53, from the town of Silistra, graduated in 1986, majoring in directing and choreographic education at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. He is currently the artistic director of the Ensemble "Dobrudzha" and advocate for its conservation. In his career Mr Dzhambazov was primarily a teacher and choreographer for several dance ensembles and folk groups. From 2012 he is a choreographer of the folklore dance club "Drustur-2012". Received extremely well in professional folklore and musical circles in Bulgaria, Bulgarian expert on folklore and especially Dobrudzha folk dance and music, Mr Dzhambazov is a real friend and supporter of almost any popular artist or musician in Silistra. We wish him success!

Monday, March 9, 2015

The Ballet "B-2" and its choreografer Mrs Boryana Kyoseva participated in the "DAYS OF BULGARIA" in Malaga (Spain)

The Ballet "B-2" visited the Bulgarian (and Silistra) diaspora in Malaga, Spain   

By the initiative of three associations of Bulgarians in Spain - "Malaga-Bulgaria 2010" (President Mrs Pertanka Kostadinova), "Bulgarian Bunch" (President Mr Mattey Fotev) and "Marbella-Bulgaria 2013" (President Anita Christova), from 6th to 8th of March , 2015 in the cultural center "Rafael Gonzalez Luna" was organized for the first time the "DAYS OF BULGARIA" dedicated to the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria - Third of March. The event was organized with the assistance of Malaga Town Hall, Association "Central Ciudadana", Association of neighbors' Karanke" and The Art Center" Stringendo"  (with heads Svetlana and Emil Strundzhev).

Pic .: Association "Malaga-Bulgaria 2010"
The Ballet "B-2" participated within the three days of the event. "Bulgarian community welcomed us and we like, very taken care of us, we made joint concerts Spanish and Bulgarian children. We visited Grenada and Seville, we saw beautiful palaces, felt Spanish atmosphere .... go home on Wednesday evening",  said on the way back to Bulgaria Mrs. Kyoseva.
Ballet "B-2" was invited to Malaga from Art Center "Stringendo" as winner of the International Children's Art Festival "TRIXIE" '2014.
Other participants from Bulgaria were representatives of the School of Arts "St. Kliment Ohridski" from the city of Dobrich and soloists of the vocal group" Sweet popcorn" from the National Palace of Children (Sofia). With individual performances of folk dances included another family Rhumiana and Stefan Jekovi (citizens of Silistra living in Malaga), Desi Dimitrova and Sofia and Savina Georgiev. With their own performances the feast attended over of ten folklore  groups of Bulgarians living in Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, Valencia, Malaga etc.Within the program of the festival was an exhibition of Bulgarian artists, of the iconographers from Art Center "Stringendo" and a presentation of the Pertanka Kostadinova's book "Colors of feelings." State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad organized a documentary exhibition dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Pic .: Association "Malaga-Bulgaria 2010"
Photo gallery of the "Ballet" B-2 "from participation in Bulgarian in Malaga from 6 to 8 March 2015.


See video of the concert program: