Oratnitza returns with new album STOPAN and concert in Sofia

We waited almost eight years for a new album from Oratnitza—the ethno ensemble that blends Bulgarian folk motifs with contemporary sound, drawing on elements of dubstep, hip-hop and drum and bass. The album is now a reality and is titled STOPAN. It features ten tracks and will be presented live for the first time on September 12 at the small stage of Vidas Art Arena in Sofia.

Compared with their previous album, Alter Ethno (on which they also experimented with styles such as afrobeat, jazz, and heavier ambient music), STOPAN showcases more mature and multi-layered compositions by the ensemble, which has also undergone lineup changes in the meantime.

Work on collecting ideas for STOPAN began in 2023. Singer Asya Pincheva played a key role in selecting the Bulgarian folk songs that Oratnitza reworked in their distinctive style. Asya Pincheva has more:

“We select them from all kinds of places. Diana, Nelina, and I (the three female singers in Oratnitza) graduated from the folk music schools in Kotel and Shiroka Laka. So we have a fairly rich repertoire drawn from different folklore regions. Naturally, Oratnitza’s repertoire is dominated by Shopi songs; that has been a distinctive characteristic of the group since before we joined it.”

Eight of the ten tracks on STOPAN are Bulgarian folk songs. In keeping with tradition, the album also features one remix and one original composition, which Asya Pincheva describes as spontaneous and experimental.

The album’s single, “Tanka Stana”, is among the songs that will be performed in Sofia on September 12.

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov