Samodivi: The Haunting Beauty of the Balkans (Video Rewind)
Vessela Stoyanova
Image courtesy of the artist
In this video rewind from 2018, the music of Samodivi is inspired by the beauty and rhythmic intricacies of Balkan musical traditions. The repertoire includes modern interpretations of old folk songs from the Balkan peninsula, as well as original compositions using that style as an inspiration.
The ensemble features Bulgarian-born founder and composer Vessela Stoyanova on marimba, vibraphone, and the Marimba Lumina MIDI controller. The rest of the instrumentation ranges from the traditional qanun, clarinet, and fiddle, to a string quartet, powerful rhythm section, and on occasion a full Balkan brass band. Weaving in and out of the instrumental pieces are the haunting voices of Burcu Gulec and Tamara Jokic.
The Balkan region has a tumultuous history, often riddled by war and mistrust among the countries that share it, but the music that came from its people clearly shows a familial bond and shared culture dating to antiquity. Embracing the idea of music as a powerful border-defying human connector, this version of the Samodivi ensemble includes musicians from Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, the United States, France, Azerbaijan, and Palestine.