The sixth edition of the national festival named Culture of My Ethnic Group was held on September 6, when Bulgaria marks Its Unification Day. The festival initially started at the municipal center in Pavel Banya as a small local cultural event, but quickly moved to the village of Gorno Sahrane. This village is situated near the town of Kazanlak at the foot of the Balkan Mountain Range. It became the perfect host for such event with the diversity of its communities and ethnic groups. Bulgarian Christians who settled there from Macedonia, Karakachans, Turks, Roma and Bulgarian Muslims have been cohabiting peacefully there for many years. The date of the event was chosen due to the Pavel Banya Fair held on September 8, when Christians mark the Nativity of the BlessedVirgin Mary. That is why, the festival is held in the closest Sunday to this Christian feast. It is organized by the local community center Svetlina-1905 with the assistance of the village council and the financial assistance of the Municipality of Pavel Banya. The festival is of a contest type: the best performances are awarded with diplomas.

Mrs. Yana Trendafilova who works as a librarian and a secretary of the local community center is behind the festival's organization. Yana spends a lot of time and efforts to prepare this festival. She has been overcoming all types of difficulties and has been welcoming the guests and the participants with a wide smile. She views this festival as a holiday which brings joy and entertainment to everyone, but meanwhile encourages mutual understanding and friendship. Yana voiced hopes that this cultural event would broaden in the future and would become popular not only in the region of Pavel Banya, but across the whole country, too. The exhibition of Karakachan garments, adornments and items from their everyday life is an interesting accent in this year's edition of the festival. The exhibition is displayed in the lobby of the local community center building. Mrs. Elena Dzupova who is a member of an ancient Karakachan family gave the valuable exponents. She inherited them from her grandmothers and grandfathers. She even crafted some of the items herself under traditional Karakachan technologies. Her granddaughter Yoana attended the exhibition dressed in traditional Karakachan dress.

This year the festival gathered over 300 participants from 19 Bulgarian villages and towns. The hosts from Gorno Sahrane were presented by three ensembles. The female singing group Perunika opened the festive programme with the village hymn. The children's Karakachans band also took part at the event and impressed the guests with its richly-decorated authentic costumes and traditional Karakachan chain-dances. The girls from Romanilo Group fascinated the audience with their fiery performance and won the third prize at the best Dance Group contest. The girls from Kazlar dancing formation from the neighboring village of Asen were among the most colorful participants. They presented Turkish wedding dances. Turlatsite group from the village of Stakevtsi (Belogradchik Municipality) won the first prize in the category for most authentic presentation with their original versicoloured costumes and authentic songs. The female guests from Varna won the second prize with their Gagaouz Dance.

The amateurs from the town of Galabovo won the biggest prize of this year's festival. They presented their town with several ensembles and individual performances and the first prize for overall performance went to the community center of the neighboring village of Gorno Dryanovo. The oldest participant 85 year-old Mariana Duleshkova from Stakevtsi and the youngest four year-old Daniela Stefanova from Sheinovo also received special diplomas. The prize for best individual performer went to Yordanka Mishkova from the village of Malo Konare (Plovdiv district). The one hundred year-old costume worn by Maria Koleva from the village of Rozovo (Kazanlak Municipality) brought her the special award for most-authentic costume. The villages of Yasenovo, Asen and Sheinovo received awards for best singing groups and the dancers from Kralovo received the first prize for most attractive presentation of Shoppe folklore.

The participants and the guests of this year's edition of the folklore festival in Gorno Sahrane turned September 6 into a real holiday of live folklore and cultural diversity.

The audio file contains the following songs:

 1 - Sabrali Mi Se Nabrali, to the rendition of Male folklore group, village of Rozovo

 2- Baba Vinci Pila, to the rendition of Natali Ivanova and Yoan Ivanov duo-

 3 - Shiroki Su Gyorine Orjitse, to the rendition of Rosen Zdravets folklore group

4 -Brei Kakvo e Chudo Stanalo, performed by group for authentic folklore from the town of Galabovo

English version: Kostadin Atanasov