On May 13, an evening folklore horotheque, “Joy in Chepelare – a holiday of the people”, was held in Chepelar! “, as part of the program of Chepelare Municipality May 2023 Holidays, but this year its scale was significantly larger.
The celebration began at 5 pm with a grand parade of over 500 participants from all over Bulgaria on the city’s main street, which starts from the yard of the CPLR – ODC Chepelare. Drum and Rhodope kaba bagpipes led the procession from a bagpipe team to CPLR ODK Chepelare with leader Peter Yanev.
All participants dressed in traditional Bulgarian costumes proudly paraded with their clubs’ flags and the Bulgaria tribagrenics. The colourful parade ended at Olympic Square in Chepelare, where the hosts were from TC Veselie – town. Chepelare, with choreographers Valentina Bozova and Milen Hadzhimatev, performed the traditional Rhodope “sworn to choro” on the Olympic circles on the square.
After the impressive horo, the official opening of 18:00 followed with greetings for the participants and attendees, which were sent by Mr Boran Hadzhiev – Mayor of Chepelare Municipality, Mrs Ekaterina Popova-Silkova – Director of CPLR ODC – Chepelare and Mrs Vesela Hadzhieva-Rusenova, as the lead and representative of the organizers – hosts TC Veselie – town. Chappelle.
The evening folklore horotheque starts at 6 pm with a great mood, a professional presenter who is also a choreographer.
Olympic Square celebrated filled with the sounds of Bulgarian folk music, the Rhodope Mountains sang, and the colourful chronotropic and musical performers enjoyed the Bulgarian spirit and heart. There was no missing a fun part of the program in which Rosanka Bodurova – choreographer of the club “HORO” – city. Smolyan, with a radiant smile, showed the steps of the Chepelar Interest Chore; then, everyone played it together.
Club leaders were awarded personally by the mayor of Chepelare municipality with certificates for participation in the May holidays of Chepelara municipality, two books: “Cross Mountain” – Second supplemented edition of Kostadin Glushkov and “Rhodope Dishes” by Kostadin Merzhanov, 3 CDs: “With a song from Bulgaria” and “Karagoz Vakal Kamatan” by Authentic folklore group “Enyova Kitka” with head Felix Bozov-CPLR ODC-Chepelare, from Boyka Prasadova “Voice of the Rhodope Mountains”. Vesela Hadzhieva-Rusenova presented specially made wooden figurines on a moss stump with the names of the participating clubs on behalf of the hosts, TC Veselie – city.
The Chepelare People’s Festival lasted until just after 22:00 with lots of fun, barbecue, mood and diverse people, to whom choreographers from all over Bulgaria were heartily entertained and showed enviable skills in dancing the strongest and united eternal dance of the Balkan peoples – the choroto. With wishes to come more often to the nice Rhodope Chepelare and next year the event to be international ended the joy and celebration of the people.
