It’s been a good 20 years since the Frankfurt DJ and producer Stefan Hantel, alias DJ Shantel (“Disco Partizani”), transferred the traditional folk music of the Romanian-Ukrainian region of Bukovina into a club and party format. The series went so well in many Western European cities that Hantel was able to invite real Bukovina bands to the “Balkan Beats” record selection. Mostly small orchestras made up of older men in black shirts. They made a lot of noise with guitars and trumpets. Back then, no one talked about cultural appropriation. Why? Most of the time the whole room was dancing.
Now a large project, made possible by the EU funding program “Creative Europe”, has taken up the Shantel thread from back then.
In an alliance with the “World” experts from WOMEX and the Budapest music company Hengveto, which has also been working on the subject for a long time, the Balkan:Most festival was created in Veszprem on Lake Balaton. Your name is European Capital of Culture 2023 (alongside Elefsina in Greece and Timisoara in Romania).
“Most” means bridge in many Slavic languages. At Balkan:Most, a musical bridge is built into the major music and festival markets for bands and artists who come or originate from Southeast European countries.
The sound has long been widely diversified. “Most” is about a program that goes beyond the usual stereotypes of “Jugo wedding music”.
Crossover possibilities
The roots may lie beyond Anglo-American rock or pop, but just like with Latin music, a crossover is possible at any time. World stars like Jennifer “J.Lo” Lopez and Shakira have long been fully embraced in pop here. Israeli Ofra Haza’s ethnic crossover in the hip-hop remix by UK DJ team Coldcut happened at the end of the 1980s.
In 2023, Manu Chao’s acclaimed open-air performance (as a guest star with an acoustic set) at Veszprem Cathedral emphatically underlines what is possible. Supported by the Argentinian guitarist Luciano Eduardo Falic and his long-time music partner, the percussionist Philippe Teboul, it was a grand finale in the relaxed pop circuit in the baroque old town.
“We live in Italy, but we have Albania in our hearts,” says the singer of the electronic duo Shkodra Elektronike from the stage in an impressive bat outfit. Not Çiftelia folk, but darkwave electro designs with a special coloring. More Ofra Haza than trumpet or accordion attacks.
The Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra, in turn, is based in the Catalan metropolis, but its members come from various regions of the former Yugoslavia. The rockabilly bassist, who could also play with the Stray Cats, is a cosmopolitan Serbian. The multi-piece band Le Caravane Passe is based in France. A foaming melange of jazz, gypsy sound and hip hop. And the highly acclaimed Dubioza Koletiv from Bosnia, which attracts many fans in Veszprem wearing punky T-shirt merch, has over 600,000 followers on various social media channels. Diverse migration has taken the Balkan sound across (European) national borders.
Free entry thanks to EU support
The rhythm-heavy program of another duo is avant-garde folkloric: Alice in Wonderbrand from Novi Sad in Serbia. Subsonic tones and expressive singing. The festival in Veszprem is both the conclusion and crowning conclusion of a four-year project. Two million euros came from EU funding. The consortium raised the same amount with the support of its Capital of Culture partners. This meant that (apart from Manu Chao) entry was free throughout, which ensured an all-round relaxed atmosphere.
Based on the many conversations with bookers and festival organizers from all over Europe that took place in accompanying conferences on the sidelines of the festival, it can be assumed that many of the BALKAN:MOST bands and artists will soon be seen and heard in your city.