microtones in Bulgarian music

[Tagawa, TD 130:]
> Funny you should mention 27/20 because a couple of weeks ago I
> looked at "Polegnata e Todora" the song the Le Mystere Des Voix
> Bulgares use to highlight their concerts. This is the song
> used in that car commercial (BMW?) and I think AT&T used to use
> it, or was it American Express.
>
> In anycase I find it starting on 27/20, a slightly sharp fourth
> (+17� in 72ET) or Sruti #10 for Danielou. It's been playing in
> my brain nonstop ever since.
------------
I agree that this is an unforgettable song. I've known it
long before it was released on this album because it was on
a record of Bulgarian folk music I found in the library once.

But I found it to be by far the least microtonal of all the songs
on the "Mystere" album. For the many of you out there who probably
own this popular disk, Check out track #9 (I forget the name
of it, it's Bulgarian in any case). Man, how did they learn to
*sing* those harmonies??!!

Most of the songs done by this group are modern composed pieces,
based mainly on the Bulgarian folk idiom, and some, like #9,
with a bit of jazz flavor. But even in back-woods
Bulgarian village folk-music, you can find lots of microtones,
and also the most stimulating and interesting meters I've ever
found in folk music.

-monzo
http://www.ixpres.com/interval/monzo/homepage.html

--------------------
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com