Kipri (Bonny Lasses) is a formation that has brought together girls and women with a fascination for Bulgarian folklore. The idea for a formation, the selection of singers and of repertoire all belong to its artistic director, folk singer Iliyana Naidenova. Being among the audience at one of their concerts is magical and this has its logical explanation. The name of the group itself – Kipri – conveys a message. “Once people would say of the prettiest girls who sang at horo dances that they were kipri – the bonniest of girls”, says Iliyana Naidenova. Besides enjoying the wonderful music and the girls’ stage performance, during the breaks she throws a bridge to the audience by introducing the singers:

“I have tutored many of the singers, so they are like my own children to me,” says Iliyana Naidenova. “Perhaps it is because we get along so well, but I believe whatever may happen the girls from Kipri will always stand by me. We first made our name abroad – we have been to Turkey several times, to Istanbul, to Ankara and the coastal town of Inebolu. Last year we sang at an international festival in Romania. The four girls who represented the ensemble won first prize making me very proud. There was an international jury with ethnologists and folklore experts from all over Europe. Many countries took part in the festival and we were overjoyed that it was the Kipri girls that grabbed the first prize. In 2014 we took part in two festivals in Belgium, as well as in EXIT in Serbia. I recently got a call from Tim Gubel, a producer from Belgium and founder of the ethno music label Fusion Embassy, the man who discovered the Bulgarian group Oratnitsa to the world. On December 12 they will be celebrating their birthday and we have been invited to take part in the concert. With two of the musicians from Oratnitsa we launched an ethno project together; Bunny will be playing the Peruvian instrument kajon as well as a Bulgarian drum, and Jorge – the Australian jijeridu. Our idea is to appeal to a young audience.”

The Kipri formation has been rehearsing at the Dimitar Dinev culture community club in Sofia. “We have been doing excellent work with the people from the club, they support us, and love our music,” says Iliyana Naidenova.

Two of Kipri’s members are schoolgirls from the National Music School in Sofia; the third is the first singer Iliyana Naidenova has tutored – Nadya. One of the girls loves folklore, but also rock. There is one who is a mother who has won her children over to Bulgarian folklore. The newest member is the daughter of famed rebec player Nikolay Petrov.

“What brought us together? We all joined for different reasons but each one came eager to sing. I like the Rhodope melodies best and they are part of my repertoire. I was one of the ensemble members who took part in the festival in Romania and I think our powerful voices made an impression there,” says Nadya who has graduated the music school in Shiroka Luka and the Plovdiv Music Academy.

Here now is another one of the “bonnie lasses”, Vyara Misheva, granddaughter of choreographer Todor Karapchanski:

“I was brought up on folk music and that is where my heart lies, so that was the reason I joined Kipri. I hope that the people close to me can feel the pleasure singing gives me. Iliyana has so much patience – we are, all of us, amateurs, so she tutors us and gives us the courage to face an audience. We from Kipri are one big family.”

Irena Chakurova joined because she liked what she heard at rehearsal and decided to stay:

“What keeps me here is the wonderful atmosphere – Iliyana is so warm-hearted and always says the right things at the right time. It is a challenge to hear such beautiful, clear and powerful voices and so I want to be like them. I love traditional music, it is not commercial, yet there are many young people who enjoy listening to it. Each folklore region has its fascination, and since I am from Rousse, it is the music from the Northern folklore region that I love best.”

Iliyana’s niece is also a Kipri member – Polina Ivanova. At the concert she sang with her aunt and with her grandmother – singer from the Shoppe folklore region Sanka Misheva.

“I have a big family and we all keep tradition alive and every time we get together we sing. My earliest childhood memories are of the lessons my aunt gave me, and I have always imagined sitting down at the piano and rehearsing with her. I am at the German language school and also do applied arts, but whatever I may choose, folk music will always be with me.”

“Starting with my mother’s generation, through my own, then the girls who are at school right down to the youngest children,” Iliyana Naidenova says. “The youngest performer at this year’s festival in Primorsko “Orpheus singing with the sea” was my 3-year old daughter Bozhidara. I remember my granny Rayna would cross herself when she started kneading bread, then she would say a prayer and start singing. At every family get together she would always sing and my mother and uncle would join in. That is something I want to pass down to our small Kipri community. I am happy to see more and more people find pleasure in singing folk songs at the end of a tiring day at the office.”

English version: Milena Daynova