Lying between Europe & Asia, Bulgaria displays in its traditional music both the formal solidity of the West & the exotic colouring of the East. These recordings, mostly collected by A.L. Lloyd on trips in 1954 & 1963, are very diverse, including instrumental solos on the stringed tambura, dyudyuk (flute) & gadulka (fiddle), band music & songs for various functions. Especially captivating is the women's singing, whether solo or in group polyphony.