Balkan body music on tour this spring through Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, discovering independent culture, new spaces, connections and people.
We’ve enjoyed hospitality of a very interesting cultural space of Banhof Leisnig! We shared a short body music residency with Vilma Talvitie, to catch up on all we’ve created so far and learn some new material. Vilma’s really a fantastic professional, learning most of our new songs and lyrics in Serbian and Slovenian, and her Nordic fairy presence motivates us and enchants audience and workshop participants alike.
The team of Bahnhof Leisnig independent cultural center, Kathryn Döhner, Christoph Schönbeck and Alireza Rismanchian made us feel like at home and provided all we needed. If you’re near, check the space – for sure they will have some interesting events. We will come back!
We held a workshop of body music with Vilma for the local community and performed a concert on May 24. You can have a peak at the atmosphere in the video.
At the concert with Vilma we had a premiere of some of the songs from the new album: Niška banja, Dokonanje, Vrbice, vrbo zeljena, Igraj kolo, jabuko. We also played some of the songs from Vilma’s Nordic repertoire. Next chance to hear this cooperation is in Tampere on October 26, just after WOMEX.
The concert that the storm didn’t stop
FUJÁREK festival happened on May 31 in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm (Czech Republic). It is a colorful town surrounded by meadows and hills with a traditional museum in nature. The festival brings together a community of all walks of life. We opened our program with a workshop of body music, where kids and adults joined and enjoyed alike, playing and singing. We touched some odd rhythms with Bulgarian song Mesečinka, which came in handy at the concert: the audience joined us.
We were clapping and improvising together on more than a few songs. The magic of the atmosphere was enhanced by the storm that came right on time when the concert was starting, on an open terrace. We changed the place to a small nearby room with a bar. It moved us close to the people and it felt like real sharing of joy, music and connection. The evening finished with the Clarinet Factory concert.
Events in June
First time in Prague, we’ll perform on June 7th at the Habrovka festival.
In June we are again in Poland in Silesia to work with Slavyk on the finishing of the album and recording a new video.
We’ll work in parallel with Ildikó Kali in Trnava, Slovakia to record one more song for the next album of Alice in WonderBand.
Then, back to Fruska gora, to work on more materials for the next album.
AWb in the media
Photo: Kathryn Doehner, workshop at Bahnhof Liesnig cultural centre; Fujárek festival, concert and workshop, photo: Katerina Chorbakova
4th edition of the New Balkan Rhythm festival
The New Balkan Rhythm festival will have a special Polish edition this year! In cooperation with the Polish Institute in Belgrade, the Rozbark Theater and the Academy of Theater Arts from Krakow (dance theater department in Bytom), our festival will be held in Sremski Karlovci and Belgrade in September.
You will have the opportunity to listen to the quartet Slavyk, to attend workshops and watch Mirror with sound, a dance performance we created last year at the residency in Bytom.
In Mirror with sound traditional songs of Silesia and Vojvodina meet dance and movement, telling stories of life, war, love, happiness and support.