The 5pm Post – Bulgarian Cultural Event Sat. March 5th

Photo courtesy of Orfeia

“Dear PoP,

I sing with a Bulgarian women’s choir called Orfeia (www.orfeia.org), which is directed by the amazing Bulgarian diva, Tatiana Sarbinska (www.tatianasarbinska.com). We sing traditional village music as well as arranged pieces from Bulgaria and have recently been working on some Sephardic Jewish songs as well. The music is powerful, unique, and entrancing, and the stories behind the music are wonderful as well. This Saturday, we will be hosting a Sedenka, a traditional event for Bulgarians that celebrates springtime and brings people together to wish each other luck for the upcoming year. We will be telling stories, teaching and performing songs and dances, knitting, making martenitsas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martenitsa), and generally having a good time.”

Sedenka: Bulgarian cultural workshop. Bring your knitting to a Bulgarian village “working bee.” Welcome spring by listening to vocal group Orfeia, learning traditional songs and dances, and immersing yourself in Bulgarian culture.

March 5, 2011. 2-4 PM. Church of the Holy City, 1611 16th St NW. All welcome; suggested donation $20. (802) 345-6460.

Tatiana Sarbinska is an internationally-acclaimed performer, composer, and director who has dedicated herself to sharing her extraordinary talent and her deep love and encyclopedic knowledge of Bulgarian traditional music and culture both in her native Bulgaria and throughout the United States.

Founded in 2006 by the legendary Bulgarian singer Tatiana Sarbinska, Orfeia celebrates the rich and varied folk music traditions of the Bulgaria and the Balkans. From the motifs of village life to the sacred and spiritual, from the medieval to modern adaptations, Orfeia presents an authentic Balkan sound in the context of its cultural and folkloric traditions.