Ravnogor

Ravnogor is a little-discovered village in the Northern part of the Rhodope mountains in Bulgaria. It is beautifully situated on a high plateau to the west of the spectacular canyon of Vacha river.

The village of Ravnogor is very interesting from ethnomusicological point of view. The history of the village has been eventful with a variety of groups of people settling down in the region at different points of time. Thus, the musical folklore of the village has a unique character, incorporating features from distinctive folklore regions – Macedonian, Thracian, Pazardzhik transition region, and of course, Rhodopean.

The colourful music traditions of the village are being preserved by the local folklore singing group. The group´s repertoire consists mainly of songs from Ravnogor and the region. The songs are being sung in unison in antiphonal (responsive) manner.

In Ravnogor, there is a sense of spiritual unity and being one with the environment that is difficult to describe. A unique place where ancient music and dance traditions are thriving and keenly embraced by the younger generation.

The Youth celebration in Ravnogor taking place in the last weekend of july
Snoshti dojde mlad Nikola
Singing Maria Madarova (82) and Elena A. Stambolieva (64)
Song 2
song 3

ravnogor-songlist