Fanka i Mladen Koynarovi

With Georgi Musorliev – gayda

Zagalil beh (I had fallen in love)
Glyoday ma, glyoday (Look at me, look at me, Ivan)
Asene, sinko (Assen, my son)
Nevesto mlada, krûvena (Hey young and beautiful bride)
Leylinko, kuzum pilentse (Leilinko, dear)
Se ma e yad, male (I'm angry with myself, mother)
Idi, pitay, Sevditse (Go ask your mother, Sevditse)

Sûbrali sa sa, sûbrali (Well, they have gathered)
Gali ma, gali (Love me, love me, sweetheart)
Rada Stoenu vikala (Rada said to Stoyan)
Ednazh da doyde prolete (I wish spring came sooner)
Snoshti si behme na bunaren (We were at the well last night)
Pusni ma, bre yunache (Let me go, young lad)

Having even once listened to a song from the Rhodopes region one always remains under the spell of its enchanting melody, tenderness and intensity of feeling. The voices of the Rhodope singers give warmth to every word and glide and tough the innermost recesses of the soul. Such is the sounding of the performances of Mladen and Fanka Koinarov, a father and a daughter devoted to the songs of their native Rhodope Mountains.

Mladen Koinarov began his career of a performer during his school years, went through amateur art activities winning a distinction at the Second National Festival in 1964 after which he became a soloist of the State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble "Rhodopa" in Smolyan. He took part in more than 2000 concerts, both at home and abroad. The connoisseurs fo the Rhodope songs already possess his first album. Apart from the songs from his native village of Oryahovets Mladen Koinarov includes in his repertoire self-searched songs from other Rhodope villages. But his choice is not accidental or arbitrary – he would sing a song that befits not only his voice but his heart, too. His accurate inner sense and self-esteem preserve the pure style of the traditional folk models unspoiled. This strong emotional bond with the song he handed down to his daughter, too.

Fanka learned the Rhodope musical language in her childhood and, encouraged by her father, gradually mastered the art of singing. Her full-toned voice was heard both at the Rozhen and at the Koprivshtitsa folk festivals in 1981. After singing in the Children and Adolescents' Ensemble in Smolyan she finished the folk singing class at the Secondary Music School in Shiroka Luka. In 1985 she took part in the XII World Youth Festival in Moscow. Now she is a student at the Higher Musical-Pedagogical Institute in Plovdiv and a soloist of the State Folk Ensemble "Trakiya." In her development as a singer Fanka Koinarova remains true to the very best of the family vocal tradition – love and attentive approach to the preservation of the ingenious vocal style of the Rhodopes.

In this album father and daughter alternate the songs – now slow and moving, now reservedly playful, as if they are competing in singing. They are accompanied on bagpipe by Georgi Musorliev – the way songs have been sung for centuries on end in the Rhodopes. All songs in the album originate from the village of Ravninata. The two singers successfully touch the heart of the audience. This wish is acknowledged by Mladen Koinarov himself: "It is of no importance to me how great the audience is. What matters is to make people feel the song in their hearts." – Nataliya Rashkova

Recorded at the Studio of Radio Plovdiv in December 1988