Trendafilka NOLA

A contemporary investigation of European polyphonic traditions is trendafilka. The group was established in New Orleans in 2016 as a result of a shared desire for ensemble singing as well as a shared interest in culture and old traditions. The polyphonic singing genre known as trendafilka, which takes its name from the Balkan wild rose, draws its musical inspiration from Eastern European regions such as the Caucasus, the Eurasian Steppe, the Baltics, and the Balkans. A musical genre known as polyphony, which derives its name from the Greek polyphnos (which means "many voices"), has existed in various forms since antiquity. Polyphonic music, which predates Western harmony, is ancient but is still prevalent today. It is found on almost every continent in the world. Since the singing is non-hierarchical and all voices reflect relatively separate and equally essential melodic lines within the song, rather than designating some voices to dominate while others support, Trendafilka's polyphonic textures are frequently referred to as "textured" and "weaving." Polyphonic music calls for both the performer and the listener to be able to recognize numerous independent melodies as they occur simultaneously. Songs from Bulgaria, Serbia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Roma diaspora are all represented in Trendafilka's performances in 3, 4, and 5 different vocal lines. Each song's dissonances and harmonies build and swell as universal human themes like sadness, love, loss, humor, and magic are addressed. The vocalists effortlessly switch between musical genres as they seek to meld their eleven distinct voices into a single cohesive sound, weaving a musical tapestry that is more than the sum of its individual components.