Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria

"... Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria - an incredible and unique female choir that works very precisely with obertones and creates unbelievable harmonies..."

Christian Kolonovits - Linzer Klangwolke Festival 2003, Austria. - Christian Kolonovits - Linzer Klnagwolke Festival

"In 1986, the visionary but, until then, rather stereotyped independent label 4AD licensed the release of the original Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares from ethnomusicologist Marcel Cellier's catalogue of extensive "field" recordings and set in train a whole plethora of recordings celebrating the Bulgarian a capella choral tradition. As an indication of how far this music has reached out from its specific local origins, a recent Desert Island Discs saw South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela set it alongside Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis in his personal pantheon. The traditional element here is provided by Cosmic Voices, an ensemble to stand, on this evidence, with the best that has gone before."

Neil Horner, Music Web International - Music web International.

"...Together with the well-known female folk choir Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria and the Sofia soloist Ensemble, Vesselina Kasarova, using the rhythms and harmonies of her native land, brings to life a superb magical musical atmosphere."

BMG Classic - Germany. - BMG Classic

"This unusual venture from the celebrated Rossini mezzo Vesselina Kasarova, invites us to share the folk-song heritage of her birthplace, as well as the gifts of several of its national musical treasures--namely, the extraordinary choir Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria..." - Opera News, Ira Siff

"The women’s soaring voices have a unique, ethereal quality and the calculated minor and major dissonances create an uncanny atmosphere that is impossible to resist. The rich, multi-layered sonorities captivate the senses and stimulate the imagination. This is music that is exotic yet familiar, the product of a vibrant culture that combines Slavic, Byzantine, Asiatic, and Turkish elements.

Bulgarian choral singing in the folk tradition draws on a centuries-old practice of rich sonorities, complicated harmonies, and driving rhythms found only in this part of the world. The characteristic nasal sound of Bulgarian singing, the vocal ornaments and coloration, and the use of varied repetition are all distinctive, evocative qualities of this music.

There is no harmony in the Western sense. Rather, the singers create a complex sonic tapestry by weaving together simultaneous and overlapping versions of the same melody. This is an ancient way of making music that, with its dissonant and modern-sounding intervals, seems amazingly contemporary."


World Music Central,

17.02.2007.
- World Music Central