Trio Bulgarka (; also known as "Three Golden Coins", previously known as "Bulgarka Folk Trio") were a

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

n vocal ensemble. They gained international prominence through their contributions to the groundbreaking 1975

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

album ''Balkana: The music of Bulgaria'', originally released on the now defunct Hannibal label. The three women in the trio were from

Pirin The Pirin Mountains ( ) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with the highest peak, Vihren, at an altitude of . The range extends about from the north-west to the south-east and is about wide, spanning a territory of . To the north ...

, from

Strandzha Strandzha (, also transliterated as ''Strandja'', ; , or ) is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and East Thrace, the European part of Turkey. It is in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of Thrace to the west, th ...

and from

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

. Their diversity of regional backgrounds enabled them to create a unique sound to their music. They recorded for record labels Bulgaria Balkanton and Hannibal in 1987. In 1988, their album ''The Forest Is Crying'', produced by

Joe Boyd Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked with Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny who was in Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The ...

was released. As part of the

Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir is an internationally renowned, Grammy-winning musical ensemble that performs modern arrangements of traditional Bulgarian folk melodies. It is most recognized for its contribution to Marcel ...

, they appeared on the album '', Volume Two'', which won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in 1989. In 1989 they were featured on ''

The Sensual World ''The Sensual World'' is the sixth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 16 October 1989 by EMI Records. It entered and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonogr ...

'' album by

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

, on the songs "Deeper Understanding", "Never Be Mine", and "Rocket's Tail". In 1993 they appeared on another Kate Bush album, '' The Red Shoes'', in the songs "You're the One", "The Song of Solomon", and "Why Should I Love You?", which also featured

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. "I've never worked with women on such an intense creative level," Bush told the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' in January 1990, "and it was something strange to feel this very strong female energy in the studio. It was interesting to see the way the men in the studio reacted… Instead of just one female, there was a very strong female presence." The trio disbanded at the end of the 1990s, and Eva Georgieva died in 2004.

Discography

;Albums * ''The Forest Is Crying'' (Lament For Indje Voivode), Hannibal Records, 1988 * ''Bulgarka Vocal Trio'', Balkanaton, 1989 * ''Folk Songs (Trio Bulgarka-Penev)'', Gega New, 1994 ;Contributing artist *''

'' –

(1989) *'' The Red Shoes'' – Kate Bush (1993) *'' The Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe'' (1999,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...

)

References

External links

MySpace pageBiography
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Review
of ''The Forest Is Crying'' at AllMusic
Excerpt from the book
"Performing Democracy: Bulgarian Music and Musicians in Transition" by Donna A. Buchanan (Chapter 10) at the katebushnews.com forum {{DEFAULTSORT:Bulgarka, Trio Bulgarian folk music groups