<strong>Table</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>contents</strong> Press release .............................................................................................................. 2 <strong>Festival</strong> concept .......................................................................................................... 4 Programme ................................................................................................................. 5 Programme overview ................................................................................................ 16 Complementary activities.......................................................................................... 17 Practical information ................................................................................................. 19 1
Press release <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong>, a four-day exploration <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Balkan</strong>s For the sixth edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong>, authenticity is the watchword. No fewer than 200 artists present a mix <strong>of</strong> music, cinema, dance, and workshops in a unique atmosphere. Celebration and emotion, from 12 until 15 April at the Centre for Fine Arts. <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong> is a meeting place for the finest artists from the region and the diaspora, performing in their distinctive genres and disciplines. The festival <strong>of</strong>fers a sample <strong>of</strong> the different cultures and communities <strong>of</strong> south-eastern Europe. Last year, this enticing mix attracted no fewer than 7,500 visitors to the Centre for Fine Arts. Music Top <strong>of</strong> the musical bill is Band <strong>of</strong> Gypsies, a collaboration between Taraf de Haïdouks (Romania) and the Kočani Orkestar (Macedonia), two <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Balkan</strong>s' most important gypsy ensembles. The rockers <strong>of</strong> Jericho, who have become popular throughout the former Yugoslavia, combine rock and electronics with elements <strong>of</strong> traditional Albanian folk music. The Amsterdam Klezmer Band has been playing klezmorim for more than 15 years; its powerful reputation for live performance has taken it to 28 different countries. And there is plenty more to discover: from the brass band duel with the winner <strong>of</strong> the annual Guca festival and the Orchestre International du Vetex, to Albanian iso-polyphony, folk dancing, and musical entertainment both inside and outside the Centre for Fine Arts. This year, <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong> presents two festival creations under the name 100% <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong>. Last year both groups set Couleur Cafe alight. Bulgarian clarinettist Ivo Papasov, who has been called the Miles Davis <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Balkan</strong>s, celebrates his 60 th birthday by assembling an array <strong>of</strong> guests for the Ivo Papasov <strong>Balkan</strong> Project. The group, put together specially for the festival, includes, among others, the jazz percussionist Okay Temiz (TR), saxophone wonder "King" Ferus Mustafov (MK), master <strong>of</strong> the plaintive Albanian clarinet Josif Shukallari (AL), cimbalom virtuoso Kalman Balogh (HU) and accordionist Roberto de Brasov (RO) – the King <strong>of</strong> Carpathian swing. The second project, Brussels Underground, under the leadership <strong>of</strong> Nicolas Hauzeur <strong>of</strong> the Brussels <strong>Balkan</strong> group Zongora (who is also appearing at the festival with his own band), brings together an array <strong>of</strong> street and wedding musicians. Without any management, and sometimes without a clear status, they play on the streets, in the metro, at weddings and for associations they are members <strong>of</strong>. The names include Marian Raducan, Costel Ursulets, Pecho Elmazov, Aurel Budisteanu, Nikolai Alexandrov, Fericel Stan,… Authentic cafes This year, three authentically decorated music cafes – with accompanying food stalls presenting specialities from the region – will have a central place at <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong>. In the Greek Rembetiko Kafe, Michel Hatzi (<strong>of</strong> Aka Moon) will lead a project featuring the bouzouki virtuoso Manolis Pappos. In the Kabaret Manouche gypsy cafe regular festival guest Tcha Limberger will host musical friends, including the guitarist and Django specialist Fapy Lafertin, to showcase Roma-music from the diaspora. New this year is the Sevdah Kafana, with its melancholic folk music from Bosnia. The Old Bridge, a project that builds bridges between traditional <strong>Balkan</strong> music and other genres, plays sevdah music, sometimes called the fado <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Balkan</strong>s. Cinema As usual, <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong> starts and ends with cinema. The festival opens on Thursday with the premiere <strong>of</strong> a Greek film, Alps, in the presence <strong>of</strong> the director, Yorgos Lanthimos. Following his outstanding Dogtooth, this preview <strong>of</strong> his new film promises to be another extraordinary experience. Sunday's <strong>Balkan</strong> <strong>Trafik</strong> Film Day – On the Road to the <strong>Balkan</strong>s presents two feature films and a documentary. Dina Iordanova, specialist in world cinema, will also give two masterclasses on the 2
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