BBC: Concerns over Chalga Links to Bulgaria Organized Crime

Barrie added that pop-folk also divides Bulgarian society and that it has connections with the Mafia and concerns about links to organized crime. Photo by night.travel.bg

The BBC ‘Close-up’ program focused on pop-folk music in Bulgaria on Sunday, with the presenter visiting a club in Sofia.

In a short snippet on pop-folk (chalga) presenter Janet Barrie called the genre a phenomenon with “far the most successful musicians” in Bulgaria. She called it a “weird mix of folk, gypsy and oriental music.”

She added that pop-folk also divides Bulgarian society and that it has connections with the Mafia and concerns about links to organized crime.

Barrie concluded the 3 minute clip by saying that pop-folk is “a guilty pleasure in Bulgaria.”

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