Take the Right Path
How are ancient cultural traditions relevant to existing artistic solutions? We will search for answers between 5 and 8 July during the EtnoKraków / Crossroads 2017 festival.
In July, Kraków hosts one of the most important world music festivals in this part of Europe. Over 100 musicians perform during 20 concerts at special locations including the Church of St. Catherine, Galicia Jewish Museum, Ethnographic Museum, Kraków’s clubs such as Alchemia and Strefa, and on an outdoor stage at Wolnica Square. And there will be plenty of accompanying events, including dance meetings and workshops of music and traditional arts and crafts. All events are held in parallel with the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
At the crossroads of cultures
“Kraków welcomes stars such as Kayhan Kalhor, virtuoso of the kamancheh – traditional Persian bowed string instrument included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. The list also includes Songs of Sanaa (Yemen), a major inspiration for the group Gulaza, Georgian polyphonic singing performed as part of Urmuli quintet’s project The Spirit of the Mountains, and the wooden duduk, the group’s favourite instrument – an ancient double-reed flute,” says Jan Słowiński, director of the EtnoKraków / Crossroads festival.
The musicians are supported by our very own Trebunie-Tutki ensemble performing folk music from the Tatra Mountains. Intercultural dialogue is also held by one of the most eminent and popular Indian guitarists Debashish Bhattacharya. The artist presents his interpretations of Indian music set to Hawaiian guitar – his latest album, subtitled A Tribute to Tau Moe, is dedicated to the artist who popularised Hawaiian guitar in India. The singer Debalina Bhowmick and her ensemble of musicians from Western Bengal reveal more facets of India’s culture.
In mystic circles
Asia is also represented by Homayoon, the Iranian ensemble creating classical Persian music rooted in Sufi traditions. The group reaches for poetry by the mystic best known as Rumi (Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi) set to music performed on traditional instruments: the ney flute, tar and setar (plucked string instruments), daf frame drum and tonbak wooden drum.
George Gurdjieff, Armenian philosopher, mystic and spiritual leader, is recalled by the acclaimed Gurdjieff Ensemble. The group includes leading Armenian musicians playing instruments such as the duduk, saz, oud, kanon, santur and dhol.
Hearing voices
We will hear three distinctive voices of Europe with the Finnish singer Outi Pulkkinen and her collaborative project with Mariana Sadovska (Ukraine) and Nadja Räss (Switzerland). Runo songs rooted in traditions of the Estonian Baltic coast are juxtaposed with Ukrainian ritual songs and Alpine yodelling traditions – echoes of this creative collision are bound to resound within Kraków’s ancient walls for a long time.
Ural Pop is a musical experiment based on Saami/Lapp songs and Finno-Ugric influences. Torgeir Vassvik, Kristiina Ilmonen and Rauno Nieminen bring together their vast knowledge and musicianship to give ancient traditions a new, contemporary sound.
Elida Almeida is widely regarded as the successor of Cesária Évora. Neither of the Cape Verdean singers had an easy childhood. After the death of her father, Elida helped out her mother, a street trader, while singing at a local church. She became a mother herself at a young age, and as well as caring for her own baby, she looked after her younger brothers. Her early life served as inspiration for her first songs, collected on a debut album with the poignant title Ora Doci, Ora Margos (Moments of Happiness, Moments of Bitterness).
Katarína Máliková and her ensemble recall beautiful Slovak cultural traditions. The artist originates from Polomka in the Horehronie region where she grew up surrounded by mountains and by songs. Her 2016 album Pustvopol earned her multiple awards for debut of the year and best world music/folk album.
The joy of singing is demonstrated by the Polish group Sutari. The artists earned their popularity with music defined as “kitchen avant-garde for three female voices and everyday instruments”. Their latest album Osty features songs about all flavours of love and about longing, fear, loss, struggle for dignity and searching for independence.
Polish hosts
Poland is also represented by the father-and-son duo Jorgos & Antonis Skolias, the Kapela Maliszów ensemble presenting material from their latest, hotly-awaited album, Ola Bilińska performing Yiddish love songs, the exuberant Dikanda, Ania Broda bringing songs from the Warmia and Mazury regions, Karolina Cicha and Bart Pałyga recreating music by Tatars from the Podlasie region, the Polish/Scandinavian project Joanna Słowińska’s Archipelag_2 and the joint initiative of Kayhan Kalhor and Maria Pomianowska.
“Each year, the EtnoKraków / Crossroads Festival attracts guests from all corners of Poland and the globe, and the dedicated fans make sure they book the next event months in advance. We are delighted – it means that the path we have chosen is the right one, and the festival brand is becoming increasingly recognisable,” sums up Robert Rozciecha, deputy director of the Krakow Festival Office. (Artur Jackowski, "Karnet" monthly)
