Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir

With their series of Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares albums, the Bulgarian State Female Vocal Choir became one of Eastern Europe's most successful and most celebrated musical exports. A 24-woman choir led by soloists Nadka Karadzhova, Yanka Rupkina, and Konya Stojanova, they first emerged for Western consumption in 1986 with Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, a collection of modern choral compositions originally issued on the 4AD label; the record eventually became a surprise mainstream hit, with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic enchanted by the singers' rich, stirring sound. A...