Strandja song is what my life is, Petko Nanchev says

published on 3/20/16 10:30 AM

Photo: private library

If you look for the ancient sound of the Strandja song, you can find it in the voice of Petko Nanchev from the village of Gramatikovo. If you want to hear an interesting story on the beautiful nature of the Strandja Mountain, listen to the words of Petko in an exclusive interview for RB. The man used to work as a forester in the course of a few decades and he has carried the Strandja songs in his soul ever since the childhood years. Petko has recently made several recordings for the BNR archive and all of them were acapella – some of those are really unique samples that used to accompany different customs back in the days.

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The Gramatikovo village is a part of the Hasekia area in Strandja. Ruptsi live here – an ethnographic group which inhabits mainly the Rhodope Mountain and East Thrace. Their music style is distinguished with rich ornaments, especially the slow melodies. Petko Nanchev is one of those masters who have preserved the typical ruptsi song, as the man comes from a famous musical family. He carries his grandfather’s last name who was known to be the best shepherd’s flute player across the Hasekia. Petko remembers the first edition of the Strandja Sings national congregation back in 1960. He was the youngest participant, less than 10 years old. The awards from other national and regional contests came soon afterwards. Petko inherited the songs and the love for local customs and traditions from his mother:

“The Strandja songs and rituals have carried their messages yet since the Thracian times,” he says. “Many civilizations have passed through here, leaving a trace, but the beauty and heritage of the Thracian culture is still the basis. Even after the adoption of Christianity as the official religion in the mid-19^th c. we preserved the pagan rituals here. The fire dancing and Yanivo Bule (Saint John’s Eve – 24 June) are bright examples on that. The life of the Strandja man was fully accompanied by singing – from the birth to the death – Christmas songs, table ones for Epiphany, Distaff Day etc. The Easter Lent cycle is an interesting one, as weddings and baptisms are forbidden. We sing the spring songs of the Filek custom – slow and full of love and sadness. We have songs for harvesting, for threshing and for street gatherings in the autumn.”

Strandja is an easily accessible mountain with beauties widespread amidst an atmosphere of mysticism that does attract. Folklore experts admit that the region’s music is linked to the heart of the mountain. Petko Nanchev confirms that:

“I have been a forester for more than 40 years. I used to spend all my time before that with my grandfather who had a ranch on the riverbank of Veleka – a place known for its incredible beauty and richness of vegetation. One can see in Strandja over 35 evergreen species, some of them relics from the tertiary period. The Strandja periwinkle – the mountain’s symbol is among them. The beautiful and magical nature attracts tourists who show great interest to the old churches. St. Luka is the patriarch, built up more than 300 years ago. It can be found in a village nearby, dug in the ground. The Thracian sanctuaries are also famous – Endipaska is the most visited one, where healing water springs from a rock. The so-called Solar Rings are a unique spot, alongside the Dokuzak Waterfall and the Vlahov Dol area is considered to be the birthplace of fire dancers. People from the 5 fire dancing villages: Gramatikovo, Slivarovo, Balgari, Kondolovo, Kosti gather there on the last Sunday of May. They dance on smouldering charcoal and do their prophecies. They always feel as a part of a community, charging each other with positive energy. I cannot imagine a life away from the mountain and its songs and customs are the core of my life,” Petko Nanchev says in conclusion, adding that traditions must be passed over to the next generations in their authentic outlook.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev

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Strandja song is what my life is, Petko Nanchev says

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