Mysterious, enigmatic and hard to access, the Strandzha Mountain in southeastern Bulgaria enchants visitors with its views and landmarks. The Strandzha folklore region holds priceless treasures, among which the popular nestinar fire-dancing rituals undoubtedly stand out. A true treasure lies in the ancient songs preserved by the local people—wedding songs, harvest chants, traditional gathering song, festive table songs, etc. In Strandzha, people often sing about haiduts (rebels) and voivodes: Valchan, Dobri, Indzhe, Hadzhi Dimitar and Captain Petko Voivoda.

One of the most beloved folk songs across generations is “Strati Na Angelaki Dumashe/Strati Told Angelaki”, in which Strati asks Angelaki why he no longer leads his loyal band of rebels. The brave voivode replies that he is ill. He has been wounded and is no longer able to lead the haiduts. The song has been performed by acclaimed Strandzha singers like Georgi Pavlov and Zhechka Slaninkova, but its most iconic rendition was included in the first vinyl record of the legendary series "Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares" (The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices), produced by Swiss musicologist Marcel Cellier in 1975.

The impressive three-part version is by the renowned Bulgarian composer, conductor and educator Alexander Yossifov (August 12, 1940 – November 25, 2016). Yossifov was the author of an extraordinary and diverse body of work, comprising over 1,500 compositions spanning all genres: six symphonies, five piano concertos, three violin concertos, concertos for cello, kaval, flute, numerous choral and solo vocal miniatures, children’s music, over 800 pop songs, more than 300 arrangements of folk songs, and music for feature and documentary films. His pieces for piano duo have been performed successfully around the world. His works were highly praised by audiences and music critics alike. The opera “Khan Krum Yuvigi” was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre, and selected excerpts were performed in concert at the Vienna State Opera and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. 

In 1986, the Polish city of Gdańsk hosted the premiere of the ballet “The Crusaders”, based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. That production toured many European stages. His children’s operas are particularly beloved and continue to be staged in all Bulgarian musical theaters today. From 1968 to 1986, Alexander Yossifov served as General Director of the record company "Balkanton''. His guiding principle was to showcase the highest achievements of Bulgarian musicians. One of Yossifov’s greatest contributions was the release of a series of vinyl records featuring the legendary Basso Boris Christoff under the Balkanton label.

The following series of records are particularly popular: an anthology of Bulgarian folklore, The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, Philip Koutev Ensemble, Pirin Ensemble, children’s series with over 100 fairy tales, panorama of the Bulgarian choral art, etc. ''Balkanton'' established partnerships with prestigious international record labels, successfully distributing titles from its catalog worldwide. EMI released recordings of Boris Christoff and opera recitals, RCA distributed all operas featuring Raina Kabaivanska, and Marcel Cellier published the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices series.

Today, Alexander Yossifov’s arrangement of ''Strati Na Angelaki Dumashe'' is widely recognized in the performance of the world-renowned Trio Bulgarka, formed in 1975. The trio features Eva Georgieva from Dobrudzha, Stoyanka Boneva from the Pirin region, and the esteemed singer Yanka Rupkina from Strandzha – three legendary names from the original lineup of the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir, which gained international acclaim as ''Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares'' (The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices). We revisit the recording of the song from the 1975 album, which was awarded the Grand Prix of the Charles Cros Academy.