News & Events
If you are an (R)PCV and have upcoming events in the US or BG or have published articles or videos of your service that you'd like posted here, please send them to us at [email protected]. All are welcome to contribute!
Celebrate Bulgaria! At the New Jersey Folk FestivalThis Saturday, April 28, Bosilek dance group, Cherven Traktor and other Bulgarian music groups are featured as the New Jersey Folk Festival celebrates Bulgaria! Outdoors, rain or shine, 10 AM - 6 PM, free. Check all the schedules and map at: http://www.njfolkfest.rutgers.edu/index.htm
Bosilek performs 11:30 and leads horos from 12:30 - 1 PM. The Bulgarian Ambassador and Consul will speak at 12:20. Kukeri will lead the parade at 10:45. Come spend the day on a beautiful field, with traditional American and Bulgarian performers and craftspeople. Parking on campus. Very close to Exit 9 of the NJ Turnpike, less than 1 hour from NYC by car, NJ Transit train or Coach USA/Suburban bus. It's Time... for AzisYou know the wave of BG pop-folk is unstoppable when chalga star Azis makes it to New York City. Concert in Queens, April 21st. Be there.
Bulgarian goods on Etsy!So wonderful to see Peace Corps volunteers and Bulgarian artisans working together to create viable economic opportunities for women in rural areas while providing lovely arts and crafts to a broader consumer audience. Definitely check these ladies out! There are some beautiful gifts for any member of the family! The shop is called Selska Rabota.
Zlatne Uste Golden Festival
A can't miss event!
January 13th & 14th, 2012 Two nights of Balkan Music Grand Prospect Hall 263 Prospect Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 http://www.goldenfest.org/ Balkan Cafe at Hungarian House in NYC
Friday, November 11, 2011, 7:00 PM Balkan Cafe celebrates the famed accordionist, Ivan Milev & 50 years on the stage. Mamma Mila will be serving up a delicious Balkan-inspired gourmet dinner. Join us for food, dance, and fun.
Stay tuned for details! Friday, October 28, 2011, 7:00 PM Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band at Balkan Cafe A lovely intimate venue with a good sized dance floor. There will be delicious Balkan-inspired gourmet food made by Mamma Mila as well as thirst quenching drinks. Join us for food, Balkan horo dance, music, and fun. Take a look at the Facebook Page: Balkan Cafe Heartbeat of Bulgaria: Concert in New York City
World Music Institute presents Theodosii Spassov & Balkan Tales
Sunday, October 23, 2011, 7:00 PM Peter Norton Symphony Space 2537 Broadway @ 95th Street The joyous folk traditions of Bulgaria come alive in this exciting program featuring Bulgarian kaval (shepherd’s flute) virtuoso Theodosii Spassov, one of Eastern Europe’s top musicians and a national icon and musical hero in Bulgaria; Vlada Tomova, founder of the New York Bulgarian women’s choir Yasna Voices, who blends Balkan and world sounds with her ensemble Balkan Tales, often in thrilling odd-metered time; and sitarist Chris Rael, whose elegant sounds recall the Bulgarian culture shaped by ancient Eastern migrations. Click here for tickets. Bulgaria Stories by RPCV, B4
RPCV Publishes on Bulgaria
"Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories" by Bulgaria RPCV Cynthia Morrison Phoel "Cold Snap" was published in June 2010 by Southern Methodist University Press. The linked stories are set in a small Bulgarian mountain town, much like the place where I served as a PCV (Bulgaria 4, 1994-1996). The book depicts the close-knit community I was so fond of, but also the struggles that were integral to Bulgarian life in the mid-1990's. So far, Cold Snap has been well received by Bulgarian and American reviewers alike. Here's this from The Dallas Morning News: “It’s not unusual for a returning Peace Corps volunteer to write a book. So many have that it's almost a subgenre. Cynthia Morrison Phoel's debut collection of six stories set in a Bulgarian village represents that kind of fiction at its best. Phoel conveys a unique sense of place, yet creates characters whose problems we recognize…" For more information, check out www.cynthiaphoel.com and on Amazon. |
Elisa Rugs (kilims)With the recent news of Bulgarian goods, I also discovered a wonderful lady making kilims (handmade rugs) in the traditional Chiprovtsi Style in Bulgaria. Svetla has an amazing selection of kilims and comes recommended as a very responsive seller with quality products. Check out her website here: Elisarugs. I've already ordered a bunch for my next trip to Bulgaria! I've been emailing with her now and she's also been working with a Peace Corps volunteer who's been living in Chiprovtsi for the past couple of years. Support Bulgarian goods and artisans directly from the source!
Bulgare: Bulgaria Through the AgesA Bulgarian show on the history of Bulgaria showing off-Broadway in New York City- need we say more?? Showing May 27th at Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. Get your tickets now!
Bulgarian Concert Evenings in New York
The American Foundation for Bulgaria presents Bulgarian Concert Evenings in New York in conjunction with the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria. Many concerts are held at the consulate at 121 E. 62nd Street in Manhattan, but there are also a handful at Carnegie Hall and other venues. Check out the BCENY website.
The Opening Night Gala concert is October 21, 2011 at 7:30pm, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. 154 W. 57th St., New York. Peace Corps Volunteers from 1961
I recently read a great article in the Smith College Alumnae Quarterly magazine. I'm not one to mention my alma mater left and right, but apparently many Smith graduates have served in the Peace Corps and the article highlights several Smithies that served during PC's inaugural year. It's eye-opening, not only for those who attended Smith, but for all RPCVs. Read the article here.
Opportunities: Grants in Bulgaria
PCV on Reality TV: The X Factor Bulgaria
So incredibly excited and proud to see Bulgaria's own Peace Corps Volunteer, Rafael Aguilar on the reality show, X-Factor, singing his heart out. Watch him here and cheer him on!
X-Factor Bulgaria, Episode 1 50th Anniversary of PC/20th Anniversary of PC Bulgaria
Celebrate!
2011 is the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and the 20th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Bulgaria. The first group of American Peace Corps Volunteers landed in Sofia in 1991 and much has changed since they have left. At the same time, much has remained the same, such as the hospitality and warmth of the Bulgarian people. Celebrate with us this year! 50th Anniversary Events Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Peace Corps Celebrates 20 Years in Bulgaria - The Sofia Echo Peace Corps in Bulgaria, 50th/20th Anniversaries - PDF American Embassy in Sofia, Press Release |