If the Bulgarian state had to invest money to organize 11 events, dedicated to Bulgarian feast days and folklore in Milan, to organize as many events in Munich, Copenhagen, in Lyon, Athens or anywhere else in Europe, what kind of budget would that take? The Bulgarians who have been living and working abroad have been organizing concerts presenting Bulgaria for years, investing their own time, energy and money. The positive energy of the Bulgarians living in other countries finds expression in Bulgarian folklore groups abroad. After exchanging numerous visits and years of cooperation with each other, they set up an Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad. “Because when you go abroad you can get integrated, have a job, establish human contacts, but what you miss is Bulgaria. So, what we do is give them something to help make their heavy hearts lighter,” says Radoslava Nedyalkova, chair of the Association and leader of the folklore group Nashentsi in Milan, Italy.

“It is all for the sake of Bulgarian folklore and of the human contact,” adds Anita Ekenova, secretary of the Association. “As many social network as there may be, nothing can replace the human contact – there is nothing more important than an embrace, a smile. It is a way to find people who are like-minded and to move forward.”

Anita Ekenova is leader of a folklore group called Ot izvora (From the fount) in Lyon, France which founded and was the first organizer of the festival “In the village square of the other Bulgaria”, which has gained popularity in recent years among the Bulgarian communities abroad. It is a travelling folklore festival organized at a different location every year, with different Bulgarian folklore groups hosting and organizing the event. Each “host” selects a motto and a place to invite the members of folklore groups set up outside the bounds of Bulgaria. The 9^th edition of the festival is to take place this spring – on May 11 and 12, 2024 in Palma de Mallorca. In previous years the festival has been hosted by different towns in Czechia, Italy, Spain, Denmark and France.

“This diversity of hosts and participants is what makes every festival different and unique, with every group and organizer supplementing and breathing fresh life into the event, leaving a part of their own selves in the DNA of the fairs,” says Anita Ekenova, organizer of the first edition in Lyon in 2015:

“We came up with the idea, and we are proud of what we have done. We wanted to find a way to convey the emotion and the love we have of Bulgarian folklore to all groups, and to popularize it. All beginnings are hard – because we didn’t know a lot, we felt alone, but now there exists an Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad, of which our group is a member. This helps us collect a maximum amount of information, diversify and enrich our repertoire. 

What kinds of people come to our group? All kinds! We have university students, we have more mature people, we have people of all professions. We even have French people who want to dance. We have someone who is Macedonian, born in France, who is so fond of Bulgarian dances that he is even one of our choreographers.”

As a child, Anita was a dancer in the Yuzhnyache ensemble in Haskovo, the town where she was born. Folk dances are very popular in Bulgaria but “the feeling is very different once you start living abroad”, she says.

“Outside Bulgaria we value folklore much more, and the feeling is as if you are carrying the whole of Bulgaria with you. When you get up on stage, when you are dancing, when you are singing Bulgarian songs, it feels as if you are an official representative of your country. And that means feeling more responsible, and that feeling is very strong,” says Anita Ekenova.

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos couretesy of Anita Ekenova, facebook.com/otizvora69, личен архив