Boulgaroktόnos - Epic Byzantine Music

Arrangements and vocals by Farya Faraji, based on traditional melodies from Thrace. Artwork by J.F Oliveras, do check out his excellent historical reconstructions. This composition is about emperor Basil II Porphyrogennetos, “the Purple-born”, nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (Boulgaroktónos). This nickname was earned after his conflict and annhilitation of the First Bulgarian Empire, the principal European foe of the Eastern Romans during that era. A proficient statesman, the Empire flourished in many aspects during his reign, and his legacy is one of a national hero in Greece, whilst being despised among the Bulgarians.

Musically, I wanted this track to reflect both Bulgarian and Greek sensibilities, and the best place for that was Thracian music—a shared cultural style overlapping both Greek and Bulgarian music. This geographical style of music, defined among other things by the usage of the gaida bagpipe to provide dance tunes also fits the geographical area where many of the confrontations between the two empires occured, and also matches the regional origin of Basil’s dynasty, which originated from Thrace. The gaida bagpipe in this piece fulfills a dual Greek-Bulgarian role as it is used virtually identically on both sides of Thrace.

For the section where the Trisagion prayer in Old Church Slavonic is being sung to represent the Bulgarian Empire, I also performed throat singing as a nod to the Bulgar aspect of the empire, which was a steppe-based culture, possibly Turkic and originally Tengrist. The lyrics are in Greek and in Old Church Slavonic, the Slavic language spoken in the First Bulgarian Empire, and which is still used as a liturgical language.

Lyrics in Greek and Old Church Slavonic:
Πολλά τα έτη των βασιλέων,
Στο όνομα του βασιλιά,
Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος,
Ό Βουλγαροκτόνος,

свѧтꙑи боже,
свѧтꙑи крѣпъкꙑи,
свѧтꙑи бесъмрьтьнꙑи,
помилоуи насъ,

Romanised lyrics:
Pollá ta éti ton vasiléon,
Sto ónoma tou vasiliá,
Vasíleios Porfyrogénitos,
O Boulgaroktónos,

Svjatyj Bozhe, Svjatyj Kryepkij, Svjatyj Byezsmyertnyj, Pomiluj nas

English translation:
Many years to the Kings!
In the name of the King,
Basil the Purpleborn,
The Bulgar Slayer.

Holy God, Holy Strong,
Holy Immortal,
Have mercy on us.

#epicbyzantinemusic #epicslavicmusic

[faryafaraji]

NOTES ON THE PRONUNCIATION:
Part of the lyrics are in Church Slavonic but the only audio reference I could find used modern Russian or Ukrainian pronunciation, which is neither representative of the current Bulgarian pronunciation of Old Slavonic or its reconstructed historical sound.

Arrangement and vocals by Farya Faraji, based on traditional melodies from Thrace. Please note that this isn't reconstructed medieval music, only modern Thracian music. Artwork by J.F Oliveras—do check out his excellent historical reconstructions. This composition is about emperor Basil II Porphyrogennetos, “the Purple-born”, nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (Boulgaroktónos). This nickname was earned after his conflict and annhilitation of the First Bulgarian Empire, the principal European foe of the Eastern Romans during that era. A proficient statesman, the Empire flourished in many aspects during his reign, and his legacy is one of a national hero in Greece, whilst being traditionally negative in Bulgaria.

Musically, I wanted this track to reflect both Bulgarian and Greek sensibilities, and the best place for that was Thracian music—a shared cultural style overlapping both Greek and Bulgarian music. This geographical style of music, defined among other things by the usage of the gaida bagpipe to provide dance tunes also fits the geographical area where many of the confrontations between the two empires occured, and also matches the regional origin of Basil’s dynasty, which originated from Thrace. The gaida bagpipe in this piece fulfills a dual Greek-Bulgarian role as it is used virtually identically on both sides of Thrace.

For the section where the Trisagion prayer in Slavonic is being sung to represent the Bulgarian Empire, I also performed throat singing as a nod to the Bulgar aspect of the empire, which was a steppe-based culture, possibly Turkic and originally Tengrist. The lyrics are in Greek and in Slavonic, the Slavic language spoken in the First Bulgarian Empire, and which is still used as a liturgical language.

Lyrics in Greek and Church Slavonic:
Πολλά τα έτη των βασιλέων,
Στο όνομα του βασιλιά,
Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος,
Ό Βουλγαροκτόνος,

свѧтꙑи боже,
свѧтꙑи крѣпъкꙑи,
свѧтꙑи бесъмрьтьнꙑи,
помилоуи насъ,

Romanised lyrics:
Pollá ta éti ton vasiléon,
Sto ónoma tou vasiliá,
Vasíleios Porfyrogénitos,
O Boulgaroktónos,

Svjatyj Bozhe, Svjatyj Kryepkij, Svjatyj Byezsmyertnyj, Pomiluj nas

English translation:
Many years to the Kings!
In the name of the King,
Basil the Purpleborn,
The Bulgar Slayer.

Holy God, Holy Strong,
Holy Immortal,
Have mercy on us.

[TheAtlarchy]

I know you are not Orthodox or Roman in any way, same with Indian and so on, but each time you post a song, you put your soul into it as if it was actually your own ancestry, faith, blood and life in the song... beautiful

[DemonicAthen]

Being Bulgarian and Greek and listening to this is the most authentic experience

[JinnDante]

This is just astonishing. A Persian making Greek byzantine music with perfect transcription of Greek and defending Greek music. This means the world. Greetings from Greece and God guide your way.

[benmarley]

🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟨🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥
🟥🟥🟨🟨🟥🟨🟥🟨🟨🟥🟥
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[paulyotzuar]

Being Cypriot ans listening to all the Byzantine music you've created has awakened my Roman blood

[SimpleManSweden]

Very beautiful music.
Respect from a Christian orthodox of Albania.

[darkryder]

Much love to Bulgarians and others in the Balkans from this Greek. We shouldn't be enemies nowadays. The only way we'll get our interests attended to is by working together rather than letting outside powers come in and play games dividing us.

[bengisu]

Put this music in one Turkish wedding, people will start dancing halay without question. So much resemblance gave me goosebumps

[nubnub]

Wow, after listening to it for the first time, I can gladly say that this is my favorite Byzantine piece done by you. Thank you Farya. -Your Mesopotamian Brother

[alexbill]

A-MA-ZING.
Not only the lyrics that tease Basil's rule in Byzantine Empire but also the structure of this song.
The gaida bagpipe that reflects the Thracian music, that in the end overlaps both Bulgarian and Greek culture as both have been in the region for many centuries.
This deserves a MILLION likes and views.
Once again, thank you mr. Faraji. Love from Greece <3

[hamedpoker]

As iranian...As your compatriot. I love the music you make from the ancient music and hymns of different countries, empires and kingdoms... بدون ما ایرانی ها هم موسیقی هایی که میسازی رو همه دوست داریم.. من و دوستانم همیشه منتظر کارهای جدید تو هستیم❤️

[mnastic]

"Children of New Rome", we don't know what we had. Praise to the great emperor Basil II. Our stupidy and divisions let us to our downfall. Just look what we had then, and what we have now. Hope we gonna learn from our mistakes. Best regards from Serbia.

[paulocidreiras]

Greetings from Brazil. Just fallen in love for such beauty through a musical intersection between West and East.

[coNe-]

As a Serb that just got back from his first trip to Constantinople, siting here, thinking about the journey and listening to this music is something different. Thank you brother, for giving your best to keep this culture alive.

[Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

“ Other past emperors previously designated for themselves other burial places.
But I Basil, born in the purple chamber,
place my tomb on the site of the Hebdomon
and take a sabbath's rest for the endless toils
which I satisfied in wars and which I endured.

For nobody saw my spear rest,
From when the Emperor of Heaven called me
to the rulership of this great empire on earth,
but I kept vigilant through the whole span of my life guarding the children of New Rome
marching bravely to the West,
and as far the very frontiers of the East.

The Persians and Scythians bear witness to this and along with them Abasgos, Ismael, Araps, Iber.

And now, good man, looking upon my tomb
reward it with prayers in return for my campaigns “.

Eternal glory to our formidable ancestors
☦️🔥🇬🇷

[cvoudaskc]

Greece and Bulgaria Have been together since the ancient times! We are Brothers

[nikolaivanov]

That’s song is like the perfect bridge between the Bulgarian and Byzantine empires. Love it.

[redquoter]

Much love from a Russian Orthodox fan - prayin' for things to get better, peaceful, and for Greek Orthobros everywhere.

[kristiangg]

I am Bulgarian and this son is a masterpiece! I have never heard something that beautiful!