Bagpipes In The Mountains: Gaida (And Guns) In Bulgaria

Some bagpipes styles are intensely annoying, but Bulgaria’s kaba gaida style is low in tone, moody, spacey, almost gothic, and linked to rural life in the country for thousands of years. Now new generations of Bulgarian bagpipers head deep into the Rhodope Mountains each year for a bagpipe festival and competition. It’s part of a resurgence in folk arts in Bulgaria. Among the younger generations are bagpipes even… cool? I went to the Gela bagpipe festival. Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel. Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they land. Writing, recording, narration: Jamie FullertonSound editing: Samira TazariMusic: Olguita AcuñaPodcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili Gela, Bulgaria: Google Maps linkNearby hotel: Monastery 2 Aparthotel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.