#おも��でぽろぽろ

[anjoviva]

ONLY YESTERDAY🌾(1991) dir. Isao Takahata

[elizadraws]

Bulgarian Music in Studio Ghibli films

”Myth has it that Orpheus was born in what is now Bulgaria. It seemed to be fact, not myth, that his daughters are still singing there”

These words were written by the New York Times in the remote 1963 — the year in which the largest Bulgarian folk ensemble crossed the Iron Curtain to conquer an entire continent with its cosmic art.

The 1975 release of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs, further popularized Bulgarian music, and in 1977, a vinyl record featuring the folk song “Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin” (Eng: Come out rebel Delyo) began its journey aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts.

From this point on popularity from the West spread to the East, and Bulgarian folk music made it to the entertainment industry, including legendary Japanese anime films, like the cult cyberpunk “Ghost in the Shell” or the heartwarming Studio Ghibli features.

In this short article I write about two occasions of Bulgarian music playing in Studio Ghibli’s films.

The record that inspired the creation of “Only Yesterday”

“Only Yesterday” is a 1991 Japanese animated drama film written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. Set in rural Japan, the film draws parallels with the peasant lifestyle present in Eastern Europe.

The original work is a compilation of short stories about 11-year-old Taeko’s daily life in 1966. Director Takahata had a hard time making it into a movie since the manga, told in the form of a memoir, has no plot to hold a feature. Together with producer Toshio Suzuki, they came up with the solution of bringing the narrator of the story, adult Taeko, into the movie. But there is a curious anecdote about how this idea came to mind.

Taeko picks safflower as the Bulgarian song “Malka moma dvori mete” plays in the background. © Studio Ghibli

In a 2021 interview with students from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, producer Suzuki recounts how a record of Bulgarian songs performed by the children choir “Bodra Smyana”, introduced to him by director Takahata, inspired the creation of the movie. Moved by the cosmic voices of the children, they decided to make “Only Yesterday” a musical. He also recalls what a tiring process it was to acquire the rights to the music, but if you’ve seen the movie, I am sure you will agree that it was worth it; the haunting, beautiful songs with the pastoral images of farmers picking flowers contribute to one of the greatest scenes created in cinema.

Producer Suzuki showing the record that inspired the creation of ”Only Yesterday”. Source: Studio Ghibli’s Twitter

In “Only Yesterday”, we can hear two songs from the album Bulgarian Polyphony I by Philip Koutev Ensemble. The upbeat “Dilmano Dilbero” [Eng. beautiful Dilmana] sets a happy mood as the protagonist gets changed and ready to go on the field. As the scene shifts and Taeko starts narrating a sad story about the girls in the past picking safflower with their bare hands, the song and mood shift as well.

While the first song has a fast rhythm, with lyrics about pepper planting that can also be interpreted figuratively, the second one, “Malka Moma Dvori Mete” [Eng., a little girl sweeps the yard], is a ballad about a young girl who is forced into marriage but has never known true love.

Both compositions sing about life-cycle events like marriage and the regular coming of the harvests, with lyrics perfectly fitting the setting and plot of the movie, which makes me wonder if the filmmakers chose them by chance or if they had someone translate the words.

Bulgarian Cosmic Voices Enchanting Howl

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. Set in a fictional kingdom the movie draws inspiration from various places in Europe. One of them being Bulgaria.

The story focuses on a young girl, named Sophie, magically transformed into an old woman, and a self-confident but emotionally unstable young wizard, Howl, living in a magical moving castle.

A sketch of a Star Child. Source: The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

If you’ve seen the movie, you surely remember the scene when Madame Suliman ambushes Howl and tries to strip him of his magic powers. Star Children encircle him and his companions; their shadows grow big, dark and intimidating. They start dancing and chanting unintelligible magic words and are almost successful in their devilish act.

This scene, together with the music played in the background, have been a favourite of many fans of the film. Some even recount it giving them nightmares when they were children.

Star Children encircle Howl in an attempt to strip him of his magic powers. © Studio Ghibli

It turns out, however, that these aren’t any incantations, but the lyrics of a folk song. In Bulgarian. And a love song! Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics have nothing to do with magic and are actually about a boy taking his sweetheart, Dona, to the market to buy her new clothes. The excerpt used in the movie is very short and a bit altered from the original, but the words used go like this: Trendafilcheto, kalafercheto, Done mamino, translated as “the rose, the costmary, my darling Dona”.

I am planing a follow up article where I will post the translated lyrics together with a brief explanation on how they are related to the movies.

If you want to comment on or add something, I would love to hear!

Source

[celluloidandblood]

Miyazaki Hayao on Takahata Isao (宮﨑駿と青サギと… ～「君たちはどう生きるか」への道～/ 「Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron」 / 2024)

[moko1590m]

AI開発や自動化で「持続的に」儲けるためのポイントは 「バカを味方につける」こと 「バカを取り込み、敵に回さない」こと

[addictivecontradiction]

おもひでぽろぽろ, 1991

[the-spaced-out-ace]

Ever watch a movie so good your usual Letterboxd snark can’t even do anything about it

[obscureanimeoftheday]

Obscure Anime of The Day:

Omoide Poroporo

Aired: 1991

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Mystery, Romance, School, Slice of Life

[filmcompanion]

This movie is one of the most beautiful stories about reconnecting with your inner child, and one of my favorite ghibli films.

[honnakagawa]

6月20日（金）open 12-19

毎日30℃を超える日々…

「この かんじ、ぜったい そうだ はじまったよ、はじまった！」

6月ですけど、これはなつだね。 今日も本が届いているので、またまたこちらに。 合田里美さんの新しい絵本『なつだね』を楽しみに開いて、まず見返し（表も裏も！）のデザインに、わぉ〜素敵〜！と感動しました。 そして合田さんの空気と水分を含んだような素晴らしい絵の表現に心がピカピカに洗われました… どちらかと言うと夏は苦手な季節だけど、この絵本は気持ちが良くて、海に駆けだしたくなりました。 海、無いんだけどね。 だからこその、憧れ… ほとんど再入荷の本ですが、新しいものは 『なつだね』 『今日は昨日のつづきどこからか言葉が』 『さみしくてごめん』 の3冊です。

『K2 naokiishikawa』 『すべてを蒸したいせいろレシピ』 『brutus』No.1032、1033 はご注文品。

最後の写真は庭に落ちている地域猫のぽ��ちゃん。 ぽんちゃんも「なつだね」と言ってます。

[htmillll]

#貧弱で邪悪な奴等の美的感覚絶対桜他責思考の現れが桜以外知らねー安直な美意識

#おたく達のせいで街が危機に　そんな時期に

[stars-bean]

Only Yesterday | おもひでぽろぽろ (1991) dir. Isao Takahata

[tequilamovie]

おもひでぽろぽろ

[fruitblr]

Only Yesterday | おもひでぽろぽろ (1991) dir. Isao Takahata

[lecv140291]

Omoide Poroporo (Película) + 1 versión

[straycatj]

かれんだできたのです

My calendar has just published!

家主はさいしょ　おみせから100％おふしたかったみたいですが

50円いじょうおしはらいがひつようらしく

いつもどおり　だうんろーどしてください

（おみせ　くーぽんstraycatjで　50円でかえるです

　オレのオヤツ代おしはらいしてくれる人いたら

　おみせからよろしくなのです）

My landlady planned to discount 100% on her store but that store system needs pay more than 50yen, so you can download as same as usual!(But you can DL it 50yen from her store with coupon code "straycatj" if you thankdfully pay for my yummy treats…

DL(toJan4th in JST)

[addictivecontradiction]

おもひでぽろぽろ, 1991