дренки. Research project on the musical traditions of borderland areas in Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria.
Together with Velizara Karaivanova & Daniell Tahor.

Together with Velizara Karaivanova (singer and sociocultural anthropologist) and Daniell Tahor (visual anthropologist) we expanded our research on singing and oral traditions of Eastern Europe and Balkans in connecting with elderly female members of the community in Dryanovo village in Rhodope mountain. Dryanovo is located in a region of cross-culture history, where singing traditions are still practiced. Seeing folk songs as carriers of changing histories and shifting borders, we looked into multilayered herstories of the borderlands in Bulgaria. 

Learning Rhodopa songs, and tuning into local micro tonalities was a way to touch upon complexity of the sociocultural context of the place. People of Dryanovo had their names changed over four times in their lifetime alongside religious or political doctrines, up to this day, they celebrate Qurban, Islamic ritual of animal sacrifice, wondering how to make Qurban Christian. Accompanying singers from Dryanovo in their rehearsals and performances we could witness the impact of communist regime on local traditions, results of professionalisation and nationalisation of folklore, that heavily detached traditional practices from everyday life.Our current practices as singers, anthropologists and community members aim to decolonise these traditions and reclaim the very initial aspects of singing which is to strengthen social fabric and maintain communal well-being.

The research was held in cooperation with Ideas Factory and thanks to the support of Culture Moves Europe, a project funded by the European Union.