th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
About the Festival
The festival consists of: more than 10 concerts on three stages including
a concert – competition for young and debuting artists “Open Stage”, film
presentations (feature films and documentaries on traditional culture),
meetings with writers and film directors, artistic workshops (playing
instruments, dancing, singing, handicraft), theatre performances,
presentations of projects, happenings, visual arts exhibitions, and a craft
fair. Every year the audience of about 2500 people and 150 performers
from the region, country and from abroad take part in the event.
“Mikołajki Folkowe” festival offers a possibility to get acquainted with
non-commercial music and cultural patterns different from those
of the mass culture. The festival aims to break down the barriers between
nations and ethnic groups, through familiarizing the listeners with cultural
differences and making them accept these. This is the reason for such
a variety of artists performing at the festival. Over 2000 artists from more
than 20 countries, including Ukraine, Byelorussia, Hungary, Lithuania,
Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Latvia, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Romania, Moldova, Pakistan, as well as representatives of Gypsies
and Jews, have performed on the festival stages so far.
The first folk music festival in Poland, organized every year since 1991,
and one of the biggest and most famous in our country. The festival takes
place on the second weekend of December (and lasts for 3-4 days)
in the Academic Culture Centre of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
in Lublin.
The aim of the festival is to popularize broadly understood folklore, as well
as to present folk music in a form that is attractive to the young audience.
Artists working within this kind of music and using contemporary means
of expression, create unconstrained and unique interpretations of folk
sources. The result is original and modern music which preserves
the traditional values of folklore.
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
The educational aspect of the event plays an important role, too.
The “Open Stage” competition, an international contest for young artists
searching for inspiration in folk music and judged by a panel of experts,
has been organized since 1993. Many folk music groups, currently very
well-known, presented their music for the first time before a wider
audience on the stage of “Mikołajki Folkowe”. Moreover, artistic
workshops, attended both by audience and performers, provide a chance
to participate actively in the festival. The purpose of the workshops
is to show how the wealth of folklore may be used today.
The organizer of “Mikołajki Folkowe” is Maria Curie-Skłodowska
University in Lublin, and the initiator of the festival is St. Nicholas
Orchestra, an artistic organization of the Academic Culture Centre
“Chatka Żaka.”
Orkiestra św. Mikołaja (St. Nicholas Orchestra)
ACK UMCS “Chatka Żaka”
Radziszewskiego 16 Street, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
tel/fax: + 48 81 533 32 01, extension 114
Due to an interesting and diversified programme and the atmosphere
of a “folk feast,” “Mikołajki Folkowe” has gained an opinion of an important
cultural event, as well one of the most interesting and prestigious festivals
of this music in Poland. It has also won a large and dedicated audience
from all over the country and from abroad, and in some environments
it is even perceived as a cult event.
Contact
www.mikolajki.folk.pl
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
Friday, 10 December 2010
12.00 Festival Club (Small Stage)
15.00 Open Stage (Main Concert Hall), 5 PLN
16.00 Beads decoration workshop
led by Dariusz “Koralik” Gołębiewski (Small Stage)
18.00 Exhibition: Fetishes
18.30 Meeting: Magurycz – Stonemasons Group
(Small Stage)
18.30 Stage under the Stairs: Concert
of traditional village bands (Hall)
20.30 Concert “Folk po Bandzie” (Art Studio), 15/20 PLN
Banda Dzeta, Lithuania
Banda, Slovakia
23.00 Folk at Night (Art Studio), 10 PLN
Klezmaholics, Polan
Thursday, 9 December 2010
19.30 Concert (Main Concert Hall), 10 PLN
Czarne Motyle, Poland
20.00 Exhibition: Ludowadła (Black Foyer)
20.30 AD HOC Stage (Academic Culture Centre, Black Foyer)
Człowiek-Ziemia, Poland
Miatlica, Belarus/Poland
Saturday, 11 December 2010
11.00 Korovai baking workshop (Glass Room)
12.00 Festival Club (Small Stage)
Singing workshop led by OVO Group (Black Room)
14.00 Children band “Stars of Chechnya” (Art Studio)
15.00 Meeting: “The Suka. In search of the forgotten instrument”
– presentation and concert (Small Stage)
16.00 Lace making workshop
16.00 Film “You deserve to know”
– Economic Foundation Poland/East Africa
17.00 Performance: University in Teremiski
“Opowieści Teremiszczańskie” (Art Studio)
17.30 Stage under the Stairs:
Concert of traditional village bands (Hall)
19.00 Main Concert (Main Concert Hall), 30/35 PLN
Auļi, Latvia
Cimbaliband, Hungary
Orkiestra św. Mikołaja, Poland
01.00 Folk at Night (Art Studio), 10 PLN
Trei Parale, Romania
Sunday, 12 December 2010
st11.00 Breakfast (Hall 1 floor)
12.00 Festival Club
Pottery making workshop led by Piotr Skiba
Workshops for kids led by Dom Tańca
(The House of Dance from Warsaw)
18.00 Concert (Main Concert Hall), 15/20 PLN
“Lublin Region. Tradition - Inspiration – Composition”
directed by Rafał Rozmus. Artists: The Choir
of the Music Institute (Faculty of Arts,
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University) conducted
by Zofia Bernatowicz; Janina Chmiel, “Jarzębina”
Group from Kocudza and others, Poland
20.00 Concert: Hello Folks! (Art Studio), 10/15 PLN
Litvintroll, Belarus
Pipes and Pints, Czech Republic
Programme
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
Artists
With a modern touch about ancient sounds.
Love for ancient
Baltic culture and a creative approach of improvisation makes Auļi music intelligent, dynamic
and multinational. Bagpipes are more associated with places like Scotland and Ireland, however
also Latvians have played bagpipes since the 15th century. History tells that around 1760 it was
forbidden to play bagpipes because farmers preferred listening to them in pubs than going
to church.
Musicians themselves have named their music style “etnotrans” (ethnic trans) – implying
an inspirational and powerful energy and active dialogue with the surrounding. They ask themselves a paradoxically simple question: “Maybe we are the ones
that stand still and the world is galloping around us? “ Folklore is made by people – by us and also by Auļi.
AUĻI (Latvia) The Latvian bagpipe and drum music group Auļi was founded in 2003. Nine Latvian men (Kaspars
Bārbals, Andris Buls, Mikus Čavarts, Gatis Indrēvics, Kaspars Indrēvics, Māris Jēkabsons, Edgars Kārklis, Normunds Vaivads and Gatis Valters)
and an Estonian lady (Leanne Barbo) make the heart of the band and create unique sounds
by mixing ancient and modern elements. The word “Auļi” has two meanings, both describing their
music which is closely related with nature: sounds of galloping horses and bees.
Sounds of different kinds of drums add dynamism and energy to Auļi music and make
the listeners move and dance along. Their music suits well in the atmosphere of medieval
and folk-metal festivals, however it is also not wrong-placed among the CD collections of young
people.
Auļi mostly plays instrumental music. As a source for
inspiration, the group uses traditional bagpipe, dance and song melodies of Latvian and other European nations. The music reflects Auļi's creative approach
and the contemporary feel of traditional culture. Latvians have an exceptionally rich vocal tradition and a few of these songs, with some percussion pieces,
appear in the repertoire. In the group's performances you can hear the traditional Latvian bagpipe playing technique called 'elbowing', low-tension stump drums
(the biggest in the Baltics!) and various types of percussion instruments traditional to the Baltic region, with appearances by the ģīga (trough fiddle), jew's harp,
cymbals, and gongs. www.auli.lv
BANDA (Slovakia)
BANDA plays
acoustic instruments: dulcimer, acoustic guitar, mandolin, viola, violin, contrabass, accordion,
various kinds of drums and a lot of other percussions.
BANDA recorded in 2003 the first promo CD BANDA: The First
5 Pieces with their first five, originally arranged Slovak folk songs. In the field of authentic folk
music, the band has recorded two more CD albums under the old name Samko Smetana's Folk Band: The World of Folk Dances 1 (from Slovak regions Saris,
Spis, Zemplin) and The World of Folk Dances 2 (from Slovak regions Gemer-Malohont, Cierny Balog and Horehronie).
The most significant performances of the band include: e. g. the big joint
concert “Petržalka Days”, a concert in Banská Bystrica for app. 6,000 people, the successful concerts in Prague (Czech republic), great festivals: Bazant
Pohoda (Slovak republic), Lodenica Piestany (Slovak republic), Namest nad Oslavou (Czech Republic) Rudolstadt (Germany), London (England), Budapest
(Hungary) a series of concerts in Trondheim(Norway) and many other concerts. www.banda.sk
BANDA originated in 2003 and presents Slovak ethnic music in contemporary adaptation. The production of five musicians is based
on detailed knowledge of genuine authentic music, but at the same time other musical genres and other countries' folklore inspires them as well. Their live
performance is very dynamic, dramaturgically varied, and professional. The band handles
dominantly Slovak folk songs and melodies (but also Polish, Spanish, Moravian, Ruthenian,
Romanian, and authorial) into very creative and compelling arrangements.
BANDA features rich vocals, either
respecting the tradition and local specialties, or in a completely original shape. They alternate
between Slovak musical roots and their own, original style, often these sources joining together.
The band occasionally teams up with Zuzana Homolova, Slovak singer of folk ballads and the first
lady of Slovak folk, as well as with women singer band Trnky from Banska Bystrica, which
performs authentic vocal genres.
BANDA has performed in a number
of television and radio programmes and their songs are broadcast by several radios.
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
BANDA DZETA (Lithuania) . Banda Dzeta – a new and extraordinary
collective on the Lithuanian musical scene. The folklore of a multitude of peoples and countries,
arranged in a contemporary way, blends in their work. Playing from the deepest of their hearts, these
musicians already get pleasing feedback after their shows. And by now, Banda Dzeta has been
on the stages not only in Lithuania, but also in Poland, Ukraine. The music played by Banda Dzeta
is hard to categorize. The enormous brass section hints that Balkan music is predominant influence.
Syncopated rhythms, energetic and expressive bass guitar, high-pitched ukulele,
a powerful trumpets, trombones, tuba - Banda Dzeta will convince you that folk music is not just
the artefact of the past for an old museum. All that makes Banda Dzeta the trailblazers, straight from
Vilnius, in the development of Balkan / Klezmer / Gypsy music. www.bandadzeta.hardcore.lt
www.cimbaliband.hu
CZARNE MOTYLE (Poland)
www.czarnemotyle.prv.pl
KLEZMAHOLICS (Poland)
www.klezmaholics.pl
Minimal indie post-brass
CIMBALIBAND (Hungary) Cimbaliband is like a true Eastern European metropolis. Traces
of bygone eras, mixed with modern matter – It's in constant motion, swarming but it works.
It is a true multi-cultural cavalcade. Serbian accordionist, Hungarian fiddler, Croatian tambura-
player, Gypsy bassist, Swabian-Hungarian cimbalist. Members are from different types of music.
Hungarian folk music, classical music, jazz, folk music of the Balkans, south Slavic folk music,
rock'n'roll – different genres, even so there are two things binding the band together: friendship
and a magical Hungarian instrument, the cimbalom. It is not accidentally mentioned that Balázs
Unger is the Chuck Berry of cimbalom. With his rapid riffs and the variety of styles he directs his
band from behind the real Hungarian „mixing desk”. They are playing jam sessions during their
concerts with no limit in style but fed by deep roots. This is why so many people are fascinated
by their dynamic world music, even those who are not close to folk music. Their success,
their concerts and the media can only confirm this.
Musicians: Katarzyna Szurman - 3-rows button accordion; Agata Krawczyk - dulcimer, violin; Emilila Herda - drums, saw;
Katarzyna de Latour - 4-rows xylophone, violin, mandolin.
The band was founded in autumn 2006. In 2008, in the framework
of the Jewish Songbook project, the group recorded CD called “Greatest Hits”. Recording session
took place in the last analog studio in Poland – Rogalów Analogowy. Currently KLEZMAHOLICS
is working on the project Jazz Midrash which contains traditional Hebrew songs, Psalms,
and a number of newly written songs, based on the Hebrew Bible and Jewish Legends from
Talmud, in the form of a "midrashic dialogue" touching upon contemporary themes. Until now
the band has given concerts in Poland, Sweden and Romania. The group was awarded III prize
during The International Festival of Folk Music Mikołajki Folkowe in Lublin, in December 2009.
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
LITVINTROLL (Belarus)
A year was spent working
on songs, playing shows and searching for kindred spirits. The musicians brought into the band
as a result shared both an attraction to rock and roll and reverence for the traditions of their
people, as well as the desire to intertwine the plangent, powerful sound of the medieval bagpipes,
which had filled the hearts of our ancestors with the fire of fearlessness, with the roar of electric
guitars, and the belief that from time immemorial, our Earth has been home to the trolls who have
skilfully hidden from human eyes, yet have never taken theirs off us.
www.litvintroll.com
www.pipesandpints.cz
Litvintroll began in 2005 with vocalist and bagpiper Andrei Apanovich and drummer Sjarhei Tapcheusky who at the time were
– and still are – members of Stary Olsa. Zmicer Sasnousky joined in as the manager. Their vision of playing driving medieval music was shared by another
bagpiper and a percussionist. The lineup lasted for a year, appearing at numerous shows
and medieval culture festivals. However, their unspent energies still required an outlet, which
finally led to changes in the band's style, lineup and philosophy.
Soon after release
of the album the band has had heavy losses: to serve in army the drummer has left,
and the guitarist has moved to Ukraine. The vacant place behind drums was occupied with
Aliaxey Jafremenka , and Pavel Alenchyk undertook a guitar. In such line-up Litvintroll has played some gigs in Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.
At the end of the 2009 year Mikola Sharangovich has released from duty drummer Alex Jafremenka and Andrei Garchakou replaced Dzianis Vjachersky
at the keyboards. Now trolls work over a new material.
PIPES AND PINTS (Czech Republic) Pipes And Pints were formed in 2006 by Vojta Kalina (Highland Bagpipes/Vocals)
with a dream of a band that combines punk rock with dirty folk music such as The Pogues. Soon after, he met Tomas Novotny (Guitar/Vocals, ex-Who ate my
Skate) who shared the same dream, flavored by country and rock and roll. The band released
a demo and toured Central Europe (Germany, Austria, Czech Rep., Slovakia) both
as a headlining band and in support of The Porters, Society Parasites, and others throughout
2007 and 2008. However, the vision of the future for Pipes And Pints was not shared by all
of the original members and a line-up change resulted in the addition of Lukas Vincour
(Drums/Vocals, ex-Punkhart and more), who moved to Prague from Moravia; Syco Mike (Lead
Vocals, ex-Mugshot76), who cancelled his return from Austria back to native California
and moved to Prague with only his dog Tequila; and eventually Ondra Balvin (Bass/Vocals, Super
Pilot, ex-ElPaso), a good friend from the streets, squats, and clubs of Prague.
In November 2009, Pipes and Pints
are releasing their debut, full-length album entitled “Until We Die“ with the cooperation of Wolverine Records for Europe and Unrepentant Records for North
and South America. Pipes And Pints are devoting the rest of this year and next to what they love the most - live shows. With plans to support the album with
as many gigs and tours as possible, Pipes and Pints are looking forward to seeing you “until they die“.
Punk Rock with Highland Bagpipes.
In December 2008,
after only a month of rehearsing, the new Pipes And Pints line-up (without Ondra on bass yet)
recorded a 5-track EP which immediately became a promise of better days and the beginning
of a new adventure. This EP release was well received and the boys didn't hesitate to hit the road with it. It was during that tour Pipes And Pints added new bass
player Ondra and proved to everyone they were serious about their music as evidenced by their relentless and voracious playing at European clubs
and festivals. After less than a year the band got a reputation as true believers who give it all they have and you could see them with bands like The Porters,
Church of Confidence, Born To Lose, Deadline, Hudson Falcons, Al And The Black Cats and more, or as a headlining band.
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
ST. NICHOLAS ORCHESTRA (Poland)
The most distinguishing features of our music are: complexity, dynamism, “white” vocal and acoustic
sound. We do not imitate anyone but always set ambitious musical goals for ourselves. On stage
there are seven musicians and more than twice as many instruments. We are meticulous about
consonance and enjoy playing with riffs and various shades of sounds, not avoiding references
to rock and jazz. We are keen on trance and progressive arrangements which captivate
the listener.
We have
recorded 12 albums. We have played over 1000 concerts in 16 countries of Europe and Asia, the most important are: EBU Festival in Rudolstadt in Germany,
Sfinks Festival in Belgium, Sheshory Festival in Ukraine and Rain Forest Festival in Malaysia. www.mikolaje.lublin.pl
The Saint Nicholas Orchestra is said to have “invented folk music in Poland”. The group came into existence in 1988
when traditional Polish music was despised and neglected.
Nevertheless, we do not aim to modernise the folk source, but rather to create
its continuation on the basis of both the contemporary world as well as our knowledge
and sensitivity to tradition developed while exploring the folk culture. It is our own tale of the world
that has faded away but is still extremely significant. Our goal is to harmonise modern influences
on our music with traditional ways of playing and singing into one communicative and vigorous
whole. For us the greatest value of folk music is its spirit which we want to discover together with
our audience. We play acoustic and try to preserve the liveliness of the original in our
arrangements and performance. This is why foreign listeners sometimes understand our music as a quite genuine continuation of living folk tradition.
Trei Parale (“Threepenny”) is a group of young urbanites drawn by the old music specific to the Carpathian region, who perform
traditional music of both the Romanians and other ethnic groups that live in the area (Jews, Hungarians, Gypsies). The person in charge of the band's concept
is Florin Iordan (pipes, kobsa), an ethnomusicologist at the Romanian Peasant Museum with
a deep knowledge of Romanian traditional music, gained during many episodes of field research
across the country. Daniel Pop (vocals, pipes, percussion, Jew's harp) is a musician with a rich
experience in old music. The other two members of the band are Beatrice Iordan (vocals, kobsa)
and Dinu Petrescu (percussion).
In the reconstruction of this musical world, the members of Trei Parale relied chiefly on transcriptions made
in the 19th century by Anton Pann, a psalmist and theorist of Byzantine music, published in a few volumes entitled The Hospital of Love. This was complemented
by trips to the countryside for research among old musicians, the study of old field recordings made by Constantin Brailoiu, and by rummaging through various
musical folklore collections. The band's undertaking is not a strict, accurate, or orthodox one – it would be impossible as they are at the beginning, still exploring
and experimenting. The band gave concerts at the medieval,
old music, theater and open air festivals in Romania and also on Romanian events abroad (Brussels, Budapest). They also performed at art exhibition openings
and in Bucharest clubs, and their music is played on radio and TV stations.
TREI PARALE (Romania)
The first project on which Trei Parale embarked was entitled
Bazar, an incursion into the world of inns and taverns, small towns and city slums of 19th-century
Walachia and Moldavia – a complex period, when previously strong Oriental influences began
to lose ground to the Western wave that was to take over all cultural areas. Old and new models
(whether from Istanbul or Paris) aside, the world of Romanian towns was a motley one in which
large Gypsy or Jewish neighborhoods stood next to the Romanian ones and to smaller Greek,
Armenian, Italian, etc. communities. This mixed cultural world is reflected in the substantial,
savory musical repertoire of the period.
Some of the music in this project was recorded and released on their first CD, also entitled Bazar.
www.treiparale.ro
th20 International Folk Music Festival
Mikołajki Folkowe9-12 December 2010
Poland Lublin ACK UMCS Chatka Żaka
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