Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Remembering Marcel Cellier, discoverer of "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices"

Marcel and Catherine Cellier
Photo: library

Ten years ago today, Swiss ethno-musicologist and music producer Marcel Cellier (1925-2013) passed away. He left behind a bright mark in the history of Bulgarian music in this country and around the world. Marcel Cellier and his wife Catherine devoted a large part of their lives to Bulgarian folklore - love that dates back to the middle of the 20th century, when they first heard Bulgarian folk songs broadcast on BNR. It was music that captivated them and linked their lives with "the mystery of Bulgarian voices", the archives of the BNR recall. This is the person who presented to the world the performances of the Ensemble for Folk Songs of the Bulgarian Radio, which became famous around the globe under the name "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices".

Marcel Cellier began cooperation with the Bulgarian National Radio by purchasing recordings for a radio broadcast in Switzerland dedicated to Bulgarian choral singing. The 30-minute radio shows were broadcast once a month from 1960 to 1990. "The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices," as Catherine Cellier called the show, became a trademark. In 1975, the first album under the title "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices" emerged. The second album under the same title was awarded a "Grammy" in the category "Best Traditional Folk Recording" for 1989.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria meets the final criterion for eurozone membership and will request a convergence report

According to data from Eurostat, Bulgaria has met the final criterion for joining the eurozone, namely price stability, Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova announced at the beginning of an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. She..

published on 2/24/25 5:00 PM

Rosen Zhelyazkov: Ukraine must be given guarantees for a lasting and just peace

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov reaffirmed Bulgaria's support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He participated in the summit initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to mark the third anniversary of..

published on 2/24/25 4:30 PM
Hungary's Minister of Agriculture István Nagy

Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia call on EC to restore pre-war import quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products

The Ministers of Agriculture of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have called on the European Commission to restore pre-war import quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products, said Hungary's Minister of Agriculture, István Nagy, as cited by BTA...

published on 2/24/25 1:44 PM