World Orchestra by Grzech Piotrowski

Who knew: there are angels in Bulgaria who have their songs written for them by Phil Collins.

The Bulgarian Voices – Angelite

This remarkable women’s choir has performed everywhere from Mexico to India. Or if one prefers European destinations: from Red Square to Vatican. They have worked with the Grammy award winning Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, as well as with Bobby McFerrin and Nigel Kennedy. Not to mention being part of Jan Garbarek’s and Angelique Kidjo’s projects. Or performing at the 1996 Nobel prize award ceremony.
Angelite’s story began in 1987, the year they signed with the German record label JARO. This is when their road to Grammy nominations (among other prestigious international awards) started. In 1995 they became famous as The Bulgarian Voices – Angelite (Angels), their official European name to this day. In the United States they are better known as The Bulgarian Women’s Choir.
Career highlights? For example the fascinating Fly, fly my Sadness album from 1996, recorded with Tuwa’s throat singing specialists Huun-Huur-Tu. One of the fathers of this project was Solidarity of Arts 2011 star Siergiej Starostin. In 2000 their Voices of Life was named Album of the Year by Amazon US. Then in 2003 Phil Collins wrote Transformation for them, a song that became part of Disney’s Brother Bear soundtrack. Angelite once had a multi-page color photo shoot in The New York Times too, which proved that their remarkable singing goes hand in hand with an incredible look.
Their discography contains Eastern Orthodox Church songs (including beautiful carols), as well as Balkan passions. Angelite explain the somewhat mystical quality in their singing with the „preference for a second voice which is maintained at slight interval to the leading melody.” They definitely go beyond folk music. The group has enriched and perfected traditional Bulgarian elements with an authentic, original sound that often appears to come out of an instrument rather than of a group of human beings. They are a rarely witnessed quality and a refreshing sort within World Music.
singers.com/choral/voicesangelite.html

Photo: jaro.de