site.btaAustria’s Lele, Male Group Will Perform Love Songs in Munich

Lele, Male folk singing group from Austria will present love songs at the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival, which will be held from May 15 to 17 at BMW Park in Munich.

"We perform songs from different regions of Bulgaria because we believe that each carries its own truth and its own beauty," group leader Neli Gerbafsits told BTA.

At the festival, Lele, Male will perform together with Svetlana Steinbrucker from Leipzig, who on October 3, 2026, will take part in the global choral project Leipzig singt with more than 520 vocalists.

Gerbafsits noted that Lele, Male has existed since the summer of 2024, and this year’s participation will be only its second appearance at the festival of Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad. "For us, however, it is a celebration we approach with great dedication," the ensemble’s leader said.

The group includes different generations united by the same love for Bulgarian song, Gerbafsits explained. "We also often have guest performers, because we believe folklore is a bridge, not a border," she noted.

Lele, Male closely cooperates with the Pendari dance group in Vienna, with which it shares stages, ideas and projects throughout the year. Both groups have been members of the Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Organization in Vienna since 2024, and since May 2025 Lele, Male has also been part of the Izvor association in Vienna, where Pendari is likewise a member.

"So far we do not have foreign-language choristers, but we are convinced this is only a matter of time, because when someone falls in love with Bulgarian folklore, they find the way, time and strength to become part of it, regardless of where they come from," Neli Gerbafsits concluded.