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Crossroads 2010 (Rozstaje) – 12th Festival of Traditional Music
Publication date: 2010-07-06
From 25 July to 1 August 2010
The Rom Capture the Market
The concert by the group Mahala Raï Banda is the main event in the twelfth edition of Rozstaje (Crossroads) – one of the most important world music festivals in this part of Europe. At this festival taking place from 25 July to 1 August we can also hear Daniel Binelli – Argentine master of the bandoneon and member of the Astor Piazzolla Sextet.
The festival begins with an almighty thump. Appearing on 25 July at 8:30pm on the Main Market Square are Mahala Raï Banda – the world’s foremost gypsy music bards. Their music is a fusion of Romanian musical traditions, oriental music, Catalonian rumba, reggae and manea. The album recorded last year, Ghetto Blasters, was one of the most important ethno discs of recent years and considered by many to be a release of equal cult value to Buena Vista Social Club or the achievements as such artists as Ali Farka Touré. They are the continuators (and also the blood-relations) of the world music stars which appeared at Rozstaje in previous years: Taraf de Haïdouks and the Fanfare Ciocărlia brass band. Anyone who remembers these performances will know that an explosive mixture of sound and onstage passion can be expected. You can be sure that the Mahala Raï Banda group, which includes a dozen or more musicians, is their worthy successor on this score. The trademark sound of this band is a mixture of roguishness and genius, unbridled imagination, energy and virtuosity. Concerts given by Romanians usually turn into a manic party.
Mahala Raï Banda, photo from courtesy of the organiser
A foretaste of the show to follow will be provided by the performance (7pm) of Terne Čhave. Gypsy roots, ebullient singing and fiery temperament are the chief characteristics of this Czech group. Their sound, compared on more than one occasion to the Gypsy Kings, relies on guitars, bass and drums, complemented by violin, mandolin and percussion instruments.
Terne Čhave, photo from courtesy of the organiser
Also promising to be attractive during Rozstaje is the performance by Daniel Binelli with New Tango Bridge in a special festival project called Quinteto de Tango Nuevo. Binelli, who will be coming to Poland with American pianist Polly Ferman, is a legend of the Argentine tango scene and a member of the famous Astor Piazzolla group. He is a virtuoso of the bandoneon (a kind of handheld concertina created in the 19th century in Germany for the needs of the Protestant church, popularised in Argentina and strongly associated with tango). New Tango Bridge is the project of Grzegorz Frankowski, double bassist and precursor of the tango nuevo style in Poland. The group creates a bridge between the traditions of European culture, ethnic elements and Argentine tango. The combining of Argentine passion and the Slavic soul to the rhythm of the tango... 1 August (8pm) at the PWST (State Drama School).
Daniel Binelli, photo by Peter Schaaf
And what else? Other intriguing music project premieres at the PWST. On 30 July (8pm) in the Tango Moderne concert, we’ll be able to hear the greatest Polish tango-inspired pieces from before the Second World War. Compositions will be ringing out by masters of the genre (H. Wars, A. Gold, Z. Białostocki, J. Petersburski) written to texts by distinguished poets (including J. Tuwim and M. Hemar). Added to this, a duet between Joanna Słowińska and Maciej Miecznikowski – musical charisma and professionalism redoubled.
Joanna Słowińska and Maciej Miecznikowski, photo by R. Masłow / ql music / from courtesy of the organiser
Next, Orient Express Orchestra is a project whose backbone is made up of Kraków-based artists: Mikołaj Blajda (bass, loops, direction), Leszek Hefi Wiśniowski (saxophone/flute), Tomasz Wertz (percussion) and Jakub Mietła (accordion). Invited to join their musical enterprise are the marvellous Tunisian duet of Amine and Hamza Mraihi, who perform music inspired by Arabic folklore on traditional instruments (the oud and kanoun). On 31 July (8pm) it’s worth enlisting for this journey into the orient.
Amine and Hamza Mraihi, photo from courtesy of the organiser
Of course the festival club will also be up and running, this time located in the recently opened Fabryka in Zabłocie, where there’ll also be concerts and music workshops.
The end of July and beginning of August is time for a concoction of ethnic sounds.
(Artur Jackowski, monthly "Karnet")
Source: www.karnet.krakow.pl
