Balkan folk dance music downloads

Aj Da Idem Jano is a dance from the Pirin region of Bulgaria. There seem to be a few versions of it but we learned ours from Boris Dimitrov of Balkanfolk.

Learn the lyrics

Dance choreography by Belco Stanev from Varna.

Balutsa is a Bulgarian dance from Severnjansko (northwest Bulgaria), and a current favorite of ours.

Bobovdolsko Horo is an exciting Shope suite that we learned from Julian Stanev.

A bridal racanica from Bulgaria.

Cocek is a popular Gypsy danced throughout the Balkans. You can find it under many different names - Sa Sa, Ketri Ketri, Jeni Jol, Rumelaj - and many many different recordings.

This one is a Bulgarian Wedding Cocek from the Flying Tomatoes CD, Rags to Racanicas, a tune they learned from the Hungarian Roma cimbal player Kalman Balogh.

The CD is currently out of print. For more information contact Tom Pixton or visit his web site.

Celebinsko is a choreography by Belco Stanev with great music in an interesting meter. It's 9/8 divided : 2 3 2 2. In the vocal part, the steps are exactly on the meter: QSQQ, but in the instrumental refrain, half a bar is added 2 3 (QS). The steps are in 2 2 2 3 (QQQS) and the missing half bar 2 2 (QQ) is added at the end so that is missing (mathematically).

A fantastic version of Dobrudzanska Reka that someone shared with us. It's a very typical melody from Drobrudza that sounds like many others but we are just dancing a simple reka to it.

Gankino Horo is a kopanica from Bulgaria that has suddenly become a huge hit with us again.

Graovsko is a Bulgarian Shope dance from the "Sitno Shopsko" family of dances, of which Graovsko in 2/4 and Kyustendilska Racenica in 7/16 are the most familiar examples. Similar dances can be found in the Shope regions of Macedonia (Shopkata, Berovka) and Serbia (Pesacka).

10 measures, the running sequence, and the "suprise" movements are common signature features of Shope dances.

We are partial to Graovsko - especially this recording of it.

Ihitimanska Kopanica from Ihtiman, Trakia region

A beautiful song from Trakia that has inspired many choreographies, all of them with extensive arm work that is typical in dances from this region.

Pajdus^ko/Paidushko/Baidushka, etc. is a family of dances usually danced to 5/16 or 5/8 (Q S) rhythm and found in a large area spanning Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and beyond. It is the classic "aksak" (Turkish for limping) dance and rhythm. Its various forms reflect local preferences. This one is from the Jambol region in Trakia, and was first introduced in the States by Dick Crum.

Jove Malaj Mome is a Shope dance from Bulgaria in 18/16 meter with alternating bars of 7+11. For dancers, the count is
1& 23 123& 45 or SQQ-QQSQQ. This is a great version of the music, with singing, from the highly recommended Best of Nama CD.

This is a live recording from 1994 in Bulgaria, during a dance seminar with Maria Eftimova.

Kate Licno Devoishe is a lovely dance from the Pirin region in Bulgaria. We learned it from Delyan Demirev.

Katerina Mome is an Arap from Pirin.

Dance presented by Georgi Llliev from Gabra.

Kopanica Gankino from Sopluk
[see the video]

Very fast dance, with special rhythm (13/8), this dance has many versions.

Kulskoto is an Arap from the Pirin region of Bulgaria. It's practically the same dance as the one from Macedonia that we know as "Arap". In this version, the second part - with the turn at the end - starts with the zurna.

We already have two versions of Graovsko available, but for some people, Kyustendilska Racenica is a different dance. This is a modern melody that we adore.

Liljano Mome is a very famous folk song from the Pirin region in Bulgaria.

Lukovitsko Horo is a very fast dance from Severnjaski, Bulgaria. The chorography that we know was presented to us by Delyan Demirev.

Mizijsko Horo is a fast dance from north Bulgaria that we learned from Delyan Demirev. Another one of our favorites...

More Sokol Pie is a popular choreography from Belco Stanev. The lyrics and music score are for this song are also available.

Na Megdana is a classic, famous medley of songs and music used for a set of dances originally performed by the Ensemble "Pirin" of Blagoevgrad. The music was arranged by Prof. Kiril Stefanov and the choreography was created by Kiril Djenev. The songs are in Pirin dialect. The words for Aj da idem, Jano were provided to us by Boris Dimitrov from Balkanfolk. 1. Aj da idem, Jano 2. Kitchitse 3. Sednala e Jano 4. Gelemino Mome le Jubava 5. dance with zurna and tapan accompaniment, used by Yves Moreau for the dance Razlozhko 6. O Jano, Jano. Mori 7. Kitchitse to the end of the medley

Not to be confused with other dances with similarly non-descriptive names, this Narodno Horo is an energetic dance from Bulgaria.

Nazad Nazad is a favorite Macedonian melody from Pirin, Bulgaria. We "discovered" it during one of our visits to the tents in Koprivshtitsa during the last festival (the tents are where the locals hang out after hours).

Ograzdensko Horo, from Pirin, Bulgaria, is a favorite of ours that we learned from Delyan Demirev.

This Vlasko came from the town Oriahovo on the Romanian border, in Northwest Bulgaria. Dance choreography by Delyan Demirev from Pleven.

Pazardijska Kopanica from Pazardijsk, Trakia region, a favorite of ours.

Perniska Kopanica from Pernik, Shope Region

Petricko Horo is a Bulgarian dance from Pirin that is one of our favorites. The song that we dance it to, Pavle Mi Pie, is a well known song. You can see a live performance of it on YouTube.

Pravo Horo is a very basic Bulgarian dance from Thrace. It can be danced to many melodies, but this is one of our favorites.

Pravo Trakisko Icapras is from Trakia in Bulgaria. It has very little in common with the simple Pravo. It's a challanging choreography by a performing group that was brought down from the stage.

Reka is actually a mixed dance from the Dobrudza region of Bulgaria but it is almost exclusively danced by women.

One of the most unusal musical patterns in Bulgaria, Sedi Donka is in 25/16 meters: 1& 2 3 1& 2 3 1 2 3& 4 5. This music is from Boris Dimitrov from Balkanfolk.

Sirto is a couples dance from the Pirin region in Bulgaria.

Sitnata, is from Severnjaski (North Bulgaria).

Sitno Vlasko is from from the town of Velico Tarnovo in the Severnjansko (North Bulgaria) region. We dance Vidinsko to this tune.

Stano Stanke is a Bulgarian dance that we learned from Julian Stanev.

Talima is a Bulgarian dance from Dobrudza.

Sborenka is the generic, family name for a certain type of dance commonly found in Dobrudja, like Reka and Tropanka. This dance, like many others, is named after the region it is from: Tervelska Sborenka (Sborenka from Tervel). The music is a recording of Stefan Georgiev playing the accordion.

Trakijska Racenica is a highly stylized racenica from Trakia (Bulgaria) with lots of arm work.

Triti Pati is a dance from the Trakia region in Bulgaria. Like many other Trakian dances, it's also danced in the Thracian region of Greece.

Great Cocek

This week's dance is Veselinovo Horo, from North Bulgaria. This music is a live recording by Emil Eibinder, our local maestro.

Named after one of the calls in the dance, Zizaj Nane, or Daicovo Horo, is a dance from north Bulgaria. In the dance, the leader calls out the figures and is answered by the dancers.