Listen to live recordings from the the Takoma Park Folk Festival, September 2009

In the Bulgarian language Lyuti Chushki means “Hot Peppers,” and that is the kind of spicy traditional Bulgarian music this band plays. Lyuti Chushki is a combination of professional musicians from Bulgaria and American musicians from the Baltimore/Washington area who have been playing together for festivals, weddings, concerts, and other special events since 1997. The toe-tapping music, played on traditional instruments from Bulgaria, takes you back to the old country — it is joyful, evocative, compelling and lyrical, in modes and rhythms generally not found in western music. The instruments we play include kaval (end-blown flute), gaida (bagpipe), gudulka (bowed stringed instrument with resonating strings), tambura (fretted instrument similar to a guitar) and tupan (large drum), all of which serve to accompany the unique Bulgarian vocal style which has a beauty on its own.

Lyuti Chushki is proud to announce the Bulgarian Folk Music & Dance Seminar taking place every summer in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The Seminar is especially designed for non-Bulgarians (or Bulgarians interested in connecting with their "roots" music and dance) who would like to have a more in-depth Bulgarian folk music and dance learning opportunity than is normally available to groups or individuals traveling to Bulgaria. Please visit the web site above for more information about the Folk Seminar.