Bulgaria's Famed All-female Folk Choir Back with a Modern Twist

Thirty years ago an all-female folk choir set up in Bulgaria became the darling of Western audiences with its tradition-steeped a cappella singing, before the fall of communism threatened its survival.

With fans like George Harrison, David Bowie and Kate Bush, The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices ensemble conquered the international charts during the Cold War at a time when world music was beginning to gain popularity.

Now the Grammy-winning choir from Sofia is back, with their embroidered blouses and floral hair styles plus a contemporary twist, having teamed up with Australian-born Lisa Gerrard of the music group, Dead Can Dance.

The choir's new album -- its first studio production in two decades -- in collaboration with Gerrard was released in May in Bulgaria and deemed by Rolling Stone magazine's online edition as among the "10 New Albums to Stream Now".

Gerrard said her task on the album, entitled "BooCheeMish" -- after a local shrub that blossoms between rocks -- was "to bring them (the choir) into the moment without corrupting their tradition".

A longtime fan, Gerrard recalled her first encounter with the choir's music 38 years ago, telling AFP: "There was something unique and full of light that these women were doing, which is what I wanted from the work."

- Singing that 'can't be taught' -

The choir's signature vocal style is made up of powerful layered polyphonic harmonies, created by different combinations of voices, a sound once described as something between a call to prayer and The Beach Boys.

"This genuine open singing that comes from the throat, the larynx, is not something that you can teach, you must be born with this," longstanding choir master Dora Hristova said.

Many of the two dozen women,...