Kabile Bitov Wedding Band U.S. tour stops for night at Bloomsburg's Milk Parlour Ballroom Wed. Sept 3rd, 2008

The Kabile musicians lounged on Rosemarie's hammock strung between the pear tree and flowering crab apple, while Gary, Jackie, and I set up our big sound system, the tables, and the chairs for our pot luck. They said they enjoyed very much many of the tracks played at random on our C.D. jukebox, while we finished preparations. Yet, after a couple dozen guests had arrived and the Kabile musicians began to play, I felt like throwing all my C.D.s away, they sounded so good.

My ears were drawn, in particular, to the tapan player named Angel Krastev, who added wondrous ornaments on both sides of his drum to the rhythms of each piece.

Soon half the crowd began dancing a long pravo and then a lesnoto, at the end of which, Nikolay, the kaval player, called out for requests. Knowing he was from Thrace, I shouted, "Trakijska Rachenitsa." When the music began, filling the valley, Gary and Jackie joined me in dancing this rachenitsa to a great, but unfamiliar tune.

Paula's Bulgarian student, Mariya, arrived with two friends. She led a number of dances and added improvisations, especially from at the end of the line. Not to be outdone Rumen and Anna, our older Bulgarian friends, also stepped out to lead. At one point the whole crowd danced around Kabile, accompanying Donka Koleva's fine vocals.

As the evening sunlight faded into darkness, the stars came out. I lit candles under globes, one of which I set in front of the band, which continued to play well into the night while we danced around them. It reminded me about dancing around many campfires in Koprivshchitza. Jeremy, ever the sound technician, safely tucked away the speaker cables so no one tripped.

During the after party that continued in the house, I asked, "Why do Bulgarian musicians play so well in the dark?" " Because they play with their hearts, not their eyes," I answered.