After taking part in the International Bagpipe Conference in Glasgow, the Bulgarian bagpipe band Kaynak made their performance in Edinburgh, organized by the local Bulgarian community. The concert was held in Frankenstein’s Bier Keller.
The band started with a music workshop for all the children there. Through games, singing, dancing and fairy tales they thought Bulgarian traditions, tunes and folklore.
They introduced their instruments, teaching the structure and materials used, followed by group singing of Rhodopean songs and dancing of traditional dances – pravo and svornato horo, rachenitsa. At the end of the workshop all the children were equipped with special practice bagpipes and they performed simple tunes together with the band. The event coincides with the preparation for 1st of March and after the workshop all the kids were twisting white and red wool threads.
The main performance started with traditional suites and pravo horo. All the people were dancing and enjoying the music. The culmination of the concert was a singing of the Rhodopean song “De se e chulo, videlo” together with local Scottish bagpipers, fans of Bulgarian traditional music. Followed by amazing dancing tunes making all the crowd to stand up and dance.
“It was a great event”, says Mila, one of the Bulgarians studying in Edinburgh and attending on the concert. “The traditional music the band plays, their clothes and attitude reminds us about our motherland and this is so important while we are abroad.”
“The workshop was definitely one of the best things that could happen to our kids when talking about culture and traditions. I can definitely say that the guys from the band have experience working with children and they love doing it.” says one of the parents there.
Cvetelin Andreev, a leader of the band, adds “We are amazed from the warm welcome by the local community here. They organized everything perfectly. We are feeling so happy to be here and play for those people and will definitely come again.”
