The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices / Lisa Gerrard

»World music before world music was even invented« is how The Guardian describes the »Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices«, a state radio choir formed in 1952 with a focus on traditional folk music. Thanks to a special traditional vocal technique, the Bulgarian Voices produce a multi-layered spherical timbre that can only be mastered through intensive voice training. The choir’s first album was released in 1975 – thanks to a Swiss musicologist. Paul Simon and Frank Zappa were among the choir’s famous early admirers, and they were later joined by other legends like Kate Bush and Bobby McFerrin. After a quiet period of some years, the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices released a new album in 2017 – a collaboration with the Australian singer Lisa Gerrard, who made her name as the lead singer of the band Dead Can Dance. On the album, traditional folk songs meet the sound of the New Age. In autumn, the choir tours Germany with Lisa Gerrard for the first time.