Folklore competition BULGARIAN will be held online between April 20 and May 20, 2020 and is organized by the BULGARIAN Foundation.

Prize fund 5000 BGN. There are awards for folklore performers, singers, dancers and musicians of all ages.

Aims of the competition: To provide a stage for the expression of talented performers of Bulgarian folklore music, to promote the native folklore and to raise the spirit of the Bulgarians in the conditions of world pandemic and economic crisis through cultural heritage of Bulgaria.

REGULATION for conducting the FIRST FOLKLORE COMPETITION BULGARIAN

General terms Folklore competition BULGARIAN

1. Singers, musicians and dancers, performers of Bulgarian folklore, can take part in the competition.

2. Participants can be Bulgarian and foreign nationals from all over the world, in the following categories:

• Bulgarian folklore singing;
• Bulgarian folklore instruments: jura bagpipe; kaba bagpipe; gadulka; tambura; kaval.
• Bulgarian folklore dance – performance of Rachenitsa;

3. Participants may individually participate in the following groups:

• Group I under 7 years
• Group II from 8-11 years
• Group III from 12-14 years
• Group IV from 15-18 years
• Group V over 18 years with no age limit.

* The age of the participant is taken into account untill May 20 – the closing date for entry.

4. Contest Rules Folklore competition BULGARIAN:

4.1 Folklore singing:

• artists perform individually with two songs: slow up to 5 min. and fast up to 3 min. (up to 8 min. in total)
• for groups one and two, slow song is optional.
• the entire song is required.
• participation with live music accompaniment is allowed if the accompaniment is from a family member or there is no quarantine.
• singing a capella or with instrumental / synbeck is allowed

4.2 Folklore instruments

• participants perform atleast two melodies individually: slow and fast.
• The slow tune is optional but is judged by additional jury points;
• Two or more melodies can be part of a single musical compilation, with a total length of up to 7 minutes.
• Participation with live music accompaniment is allowed if the accompaniment is from a family member or there is no quarantine.

4.3 Folklore dances

• competition for playing „by itself“ (solo performance) or in pairs of the most popular Bulgarian dance RACHENITSA.
• dance should be up to 2 minutes in length.
• there is no restriction on which region of Bulgaria is RECHENICA.

5. Conditions for participation:

• Participants can send their videos to: bulgarian.competition@gmail.com., or Via the web data transfer platforms:Google Drive, dox.bg or wetransfer.com
• Start of the Contest 00:00:01 on April 20 th. Ends: 23:59:59 on May 20 th;
• Participants should submit a video for each performance as a separate file exept if it is single melody.
• Participants introducе themselfs at the beginning of the video within 1 minute with their name, age and a brief description of the performance.(If it is a group, one person presents all people, the group name, duet, trio, etc.)

Example: Hi, We are Petya and Miro from Plovdiv and we will perform Shopska Ruchenitsa

6. Additional provisions

• Participation in the competition is free of charge
• Parent / guardian Kids declaration required for all participants under 18 years of age.
• Old videos uploaded to social networks and digital channels online before 20-th April 2020 will be disqualified.
• Video can be shot with any camcorder, phone, tablet, webcam, laptop and more.
• There is no requirement or standard for video quality and resolution, as long as the artist is clearly recognizable and has clear sound, not compromised by side sounds and wind.
• One artist in more than one category is allowed to participate
• Recordings with video and audio processing, lip sing and sound manipulation are not allowed.
• When registering for a duet, duo, trio or band, the registration is done by one person, through one e-mail that introduces himself and all participants. The video is sent from the same email. Each member of the group sends a personal declaration of agreement.
• If there are participants from different age groups in a Duo or Band, the age category of the older participant is reported.
• If a musician is involved in the video and is visible in the frame with an instrument, such as an accompaniment to a dance, song or tune, it is necessary to register and complete personal declaration of agreement. If the accompaniment is behind the scenes, registration and declaration are not required.

7. Forming an evaluation in 2 stages:

Stage 1 – Initial selection and selection of the best participants.

Stage 2 – Entrants admitted to the final standings will be featured in BULGARIAN’s official digital channels and will be judged by the venerable jury and audience.

• Unpopular, authentic, original songs and tunes will earn extra points in the evaluation.
• Performers with outstanding singing, music, dance, artistic, and creative skills will be most appreciated.
• The originality of the performance, singing and instrumental abilities, technique of performance will be taken into account.
• Folk singing will be considered ornamentation, pronunciation of dialect form. Authenticity of sound to the ethnographic area of ​​the song, etc.
• The performance (number of likes, shares, comments) of the performance in BULGARIAN’s digital channels will be taken into account.
• The jury will determine the winners and the first three in each category will receive prizes.

8. The jury consists of:

• Assoc. Prof. Vladimir Vladimirov – Head of the Department of Musical Folklore at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Assen Diamandiev ”- Plovdiv
• Assoc. Prof. Galya Petrova-Kirkova, PhD – Teacher of Folk Singing at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Assen Diamandiev ”- Plovdiv
• Assistant Professor Ivaylo Ivanov – Folk Dance Teacher at Varna Free University „Chernorizets Hrabar“ Varna and Creative Director of the BULGARIAN Ensemble
• Dragni Dragnev – Lecturer at the Konstantin Preslavski School of Music at Varna and Artistic Director of the BULGARIAN Orchestra
• Ivaylo Nikolov – Chairman of the Board of the BULGARIAN Foundation

9. Awards Folklore competition BULGARIAN:

The Grand Prix BULGARIAN

For the most talented participants, the organizers have provided many special awards. The best performers will receive an invitation and the opportunity to participate in a New Year’s charity concert organized by the BULGARIAN Foundation to support talented children studying folklore.

The instrumentalists and singers who win the hearts of the audience and the jury will receive an invitation to work together with the BULGARIAN Orchestra, an opportunity for professional realization, concerts and performances with BULGARIAN Ensemble at Bulgaria and abroad.

The best dancers will receive an invitation and access to the BULGARIAN Ensemble Folk Dance Master Classes and the BULGARIAN Folk Dance Club.

1st prize

The winners in groups 4 and 5 (over 14 years old) will have the opportunity to participate in a video with the BULGARIN Orchestra + prizes worth 100 BGN.

2nd prize

The second-ranked musicians and singers in the 4th and 5th (over 14 years) group will get the opportunity to record in a studio with the BULGARIN Orchestra + a prize of 75 BGN.

Second-ranked dancers in groups 4 and 5 (over 14 years old) will receive an invitation and access to the folk dance classes of Ensemble BULGARIN + prizes worth BGN 75.

3rd prize

Third-ranked performers in groups 4 and 5 (over 14) will receive 50 BGN worth of prizes.

All qualified children from age groups 1,2 and 3 (up to 14 years) of First, Second and Third place will receive prizes and certificates for participation;

Special awards outside the competition program

Out of the competition, 12 additional prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

• the youngest, oldest, most original and attractive, individual performers;
• the most attractive and talented families involved as a group *(duet, trio, quartet, etc.);
• award for contemporary interpretation of Bulgarian folklore;
• awards for children from Bulgarian schools abroad up to 18 years;
• talented Bulgarians abroad over 18;
• foreign participants;
• folk music performer of any instrument without restriction / keyboards, brass, strings, etc. /;
• original artist, original song, original melody will be given awards
• special award of BULGARIAN Folk Dance Club.
• special prize will be available on a group recording, which is remotely recorded and available for video editing.

* For the instrumental groups it is obligatory that the Bulgarian folk instrument be the leading one. There are no restrictions for the others (they allow all instruments / keyboards, wind instruments, strings, etc.).

Important!

In the event of a state of emergency, all points related to restrictions on family members are dropped and free participation in the group competition is allowed.

 

The videos admitted to Stage 2 will be posted on BULGARIN’s YouTube channel and the competition’s official Facebook page.