The music and dances in this region attract with their diversity and originality. As if the beauty of nature gets a real shape in the folk songs and gracious movements. Folklore has an incredible power that’s why it captures visitors’ imagination and reveals long-hidden secrets of the past.
The region of Belasitsa belongs to the Pirin folklore region. A typical distinctive mark is the diphthongal voice. Quite often the first singer gets the first voice, while 2, 3 or even 4 singers get the 2nd steady voice called “iso”. The melodic line is smooth. Some melodies are performed with ‘’atsane” (hiccupping) and “tresene” (shaking of the voice). A large number of the songs are characterized by irregular rhythm.
The traditional folklore clothing of the Podgorie is a variety of the costumes in the region of Petrich and Sandanski. The woman’s local dress includes: a shirt (koshulya) with weaved or embroidered ornaments on the skirts and the back cloth; saya used as an overcoat - in its oldest version it was made of cotton cloth, short-sleeved, with appliqued cylinders- red-cloth stripes embroidered with linear elements of silk. Another cloth that was widely used as an overcoat, was the anteriya (padded jacket) sewed with woollen material with colourful lines and stripes on it. Later on women started to wear fustan (sleeveless dress) made of woollen or cotton material with a fine-pleated skirt, sewed to the sleeveless jacket. Women used to gird their waist with a band red or striped and an apron (pregach) embroidered with colourful large patterned floral movies. The white kerchief of the bride was worn diagonally folded with loose end while on special occasions they put different adornments on their heads such as ushnik (adornment for the ears), askiya (prochelnik - chain necklace for the head and forehead); for the breast - buttons, flowers, for the waist – pafta (belt-buckles). The white saya as an overcoat was usually combined with “kintina”’ made of black woollen material, waist-shorted, long-sleeved and open on the front.
In the summer men used to wear pants of white cotton material. In the winter they also put on “bechvi” (a type of full-bottomed breeches) made of black homespun, braided and inwrought with black trims. A basic element of the official men’s costume is the so-called: fustan (sleeveless dress), fustanella (kilt), fartushka (a white cotton kilt, put on over the pants). Men also put on a woollen sleeveless jacket over the shirt and black or dark-black waist band. The shepard’s beret was used as an overcoat. Here it’s made of woollen material with elbow-short sleeves and a hood.
The national folk costumes reflect public relations they are a mark for age, family and material status. They are also used on special occasions such as ritual ceremonies. This functions is performed by the main elements of the costume - shirt, band, apron and especially by the hairstyle, the way of covering one’s head with a kerchief, the adornments etc. The white colour of the apron and the overcoat stands for being young. The white kerchief with the metal ornaments on is a sign of being a bride. Contrary to these, the overcoat such as “klashnika” with rich and colourful braided ornaments is worn by married women. Formal costumes are usually similar in terms of material and shape with the daily ones but they are more embellished and more colourful. Special clothes and possessions are usually added to the costumes on formal occasions and celebrations. Women put on formal costumes with elements of the bride’s folklore dress on St. Lazar’s day. The material status usually becomes clear from the price of the clothing and especially from the metal ornaments.
Nowadays the folklore costumes are used in amateur art activities and some of elements in applied art, crafts and contemporary clothing.
