🎻 Ethnic and folk music — Bulgarian

Bulgarian music is particularly known abroad for certain female singing traditions using drones, powerful timbres and intervals unusual to the Western ear. "The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices" is the international name of an ensemble and a series of recordings; it is not, as such, the element listed by UNESCO. UNESCO notably recognises the Babi of Bistritsa and the visoko polyphonic singing of certain southwestern villages. Asymmetric rhythms, horo dances, the gaida, the kaval, the gadulka and the tambura vary by region. Contemporary chalga combines pop, electronic music and Balkan, Turkish, Roma and Near Eastern influences, while folk, jazz and choirs sustain other forms of creation.