List of artists
Twenty bands accepted the invitation to the festival.
Chor der Neidenburger Gesellschaft der Deutschen Minderheit – Saturday, July 18, 17:05-17:30
Society of German Minority Choir was established in 1994 as a vocal group. The singers’ ambition was to cultivate and popularize local musical heritage of German minority. The choir tries to establish and maintain intercultural dialogue between polish and German society. The singers often perform at local festivals and artistic events. Their repertoire consists of past and modern folk, patriotic and religious songs, performed in Polish as well as in German language. The choir has released three albums so far.
Czarnina – Sunday, July 19, 20:25-21:15
The band consists of four artists, whose style and vision have been recognizable for years. Their ambition is establishing a multicultural dialogue, and their creative collaboration results in a stunning musical journey in which tradition plays a leading role. In its art Czarnina draws from Polish folk culture, simultaneously opening it to Romani, Balkan and Middle Eastern heritage. The band invites the audience to a dialogue, shows them a whole range of emotions amplified by original interpretations of traditional songs and an unobvious musical vocabulary. All of these serve as an incentive to enter broad worlds of tradition by listening to each other, because these worlds only seem to be far away.
“Dolina Popradu” Folk Band – Friday, July 17, 18:05-18:45
The band performs since 1965. For years it has been popularizing cultural heritage of Highlanders Nadpopradzcy (also referred to as Black highlanders), who live in lower Poprad region. In their tradition clear signs of multiculturalism and polyethnicity can be seen, which is no surprise at the crossroads of northern and southern Karpaty. Highlanders Nadpopradzcy are also distinguished by their dark woolen clothes. Since its inception, the band explores and carefully documents its native folklore, which results in very credible and one-of-a-kind performances. “Dolina Popradu” won many prestigious awards for cultivating local heritage. One of the most important goals of the band is shaping the future through care of the past and tradition.
Drëszë – Thursday, July 16, 18:00-18:50; Kashubian songs workshop, Friday, Spodki
(14 św. Rocha Street), 15:00-17:00
The name of the band means “friends” in Kashubian. The group consists of three musicians from Tri-City who share a passion for folk, traditional and jazz music. Band leader, Joanna Gostkowska, for years has been reviving Kashubian folk songs and instrumentals. She is a Kashubian herself. Drëszë present original lyrics and music, enriched by contemporary accents. Band aims to protect the meaning and authenticity of Kashubian tradition from oblivion. Pieces making up their repertoire originate from archival recordings, many of which were discovered by the musicians during their field expeditions. “Drëszë” performed at many festivals and won numerous awards.
FiśBanda – Friday, July 17, 21:20-22:20
The band was established in 2018 on the initiative of musicians from Podhale, a mountain region in southern Poland. Shared tradition and a will to popularize folk culture of the Tatras (which they know very well) brought them together. They often perform traditional songs, but their repertoire contains original compositions as well. FiśBanda is best characterized by its vivacity and creativity which drive artists’ search for new, oftentimes surprising and interesting interpretations of traditional music. The musicians draw inspiration from dynamic songs originating from Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania, but Klezmer and Romani influences can also be found in their works. The band consists of a violin, played by band leader, Andrzej Fiś Jarząbek, viola, double bass, accordion and drums. During the gigs, the musicians are aiming to present to the audience not only the sounds, but also a variety of emotions and beauty that one can feel and see in the mountains.
“Kurpie Zielone” Song and Dance Ensemble and Ot!Głosy vocal group – Sunday, July 19, 19:10-20:10.
One of the oldest groups presenting folklore in stylized and scenic forms in Poland. It operates in Podlaski Institute of Culture in Białystok. Its repertoire shows multiculturality and polyethnicity of Poland. The group presents folklore originating not only from Podlasie, but also regions such as Spisz, Orawa, Żywiecczyzna, Ziemia Sądecka, Beskid Niski and many more. The band draws from folk culture and national heritage, which it contextualizes for the stage, endlessly looking for new inspirations. An inherent part of the band is a vocal group Ot!Głosy, for six years operating under the direction of Marta Szałkiewicz. Group’s search for new forms of musical expressions resulted in an album called On the Other Side of the Lake released this year. It consists of both traditional pieces and songs combining folklore with modernity, jazz and electronic music.
Kapela Fedakow – Folk Band – POKtańcówka, Thursday, July 16, 20:00-20:50; Silesian dance workshop for adults, Friday, Spodki, July 17, 15:00-17:00; family workshop, Saturday, 12:00-13:30, Little Octave, Saturday, July 18, 14:00-16:00.
This family band from Katowice popularizes traditional music from Silesia and other regions of Poland. The artists constantly re-discover Polish folklore both for themselves and the audience. They often present their own compositions as well, all of which are inspired by folk heritage. During their gigs and workshops the band members are able to win the audience over thanks to their talent, knowledge of folklore and an original sense of humor. The artists can easily engage spectators in an artistic dialogue. In their work they combine respect for the tradition with their own interpretation and interesting arrangements of presented pieces.
Kapela Niwinskich – Folk Band – Little Octave, Spodki, outdoor scene, Saturday, July 18, 14:00-16:00.
The band draws inspiration from traditional music from central and southeastern Poland, especially from Powiśle Maciejowickie and Kajoks’ microregion. The artists created their repertoire looking for recordings and sheet music in the archives. They display the spontaneity typical for the old-time barn dances. During the gigs the audience can hear many traditional polish dances such as obereks, mazurkas or polkas, as well as ritual music. The band often performs at local festivals. The artists revive old musical traditions with great success, and their ingenuity is always heavily praised by the audience.
KOSY – Saturday, July 18, 20:10-21:10
In its art the band combines traditional folk motives with World Music and original compositions. The musicians often refer to old-time songs, ritual melodies and ancient Slavic beliefs, very well connecting the past with the present. They are aware of how much emotion and how many great stories one can find in traditional music passed down through generations. They present this unique heritage processed through their musical imagination during their gigs, at which, apart from four female singers, the audience can hear frame drums, violins and many unusual percussion instruments.
Non-family Folk Band Ostrowscy – POKtańcówka, Thursday, July 16, 19:00-19:50
The band performs music from the Świętokrzyskie-Cracow borderline. The musicians play regional instruments: violin, clarinet, trumpet, double bass and accordion. Since their debut in 2024, they performed on a variety of folk festivals and traditional music contests. Their repertoire, formed mostly during field studies, consists of vibrant and dynamic polkas, obereks and cracoviennes, as well as regional short folk songs. In the archives, the musicians found many beautiful yet little-known songs from Ponidzie and Ziemia Jędrzejowska regions. This area connects two regions, Świętokrzyskie and Lesser Poland, both geographically and musically. Non-family Folk Band Ostrowscy won many prizes, and its gigs always make the audience dance.
Sekunda&Company – Friday, July 17, 19:00-20:00
A violin and vocal duet consisting of Dorota Błaszczyńska-Mogilska and Wiola Jakubiec. The artists draw inspiration from traditional music of the Żywiec Beskids and Spisz. Their art is an intriguing fusion of folk music with jazz, electronic music and other contemporary sounds. The artists sing and play various instruments, combining tradition with brave convention defiance. Most often they play baritone violins, but also use traditional pastoral instruments such as tin whistles, Lenten pipes (simple, wooden whistles) and zbyrcoks (pastoral bells). Violinists’ original interpretations of folk music are heavily praised by the audience and judges at folk music competitions, where the band has won many prestigious prizes.
Warsaw-Lublin Brass Band – POKtańcówka, July 16, 21:00-22:00; Sunday, July 19, 17:05-17:40
The band was established in 2017 in Warsaw in the Traditional Music Embassy. The artists were inspired not only by archival recordings, but also by meetings with some of the last Lublin brass bands that to this day play live for dancing in the Roztocze region. Band members try to preserve the tradition that sadly slowly fades away. Their repertoire consists of foxtrots, tangos, obereks and waltzes. The artists learn a lot from brass bands that are still active in Zdziłowice and Goraj, many of their pieces were also found during the field studies conducted in Roztocze region. The band performed not only in Poland, but also in many other European countries, always able to win the audience over with their beautiful music.
Szczecin Region Song and Dance Ensemble “Krąg” – Saturday, July 18, 19:15-19:45
The band was established in 1969 in Szczecin and is based there to this day. Its members are mostly young people, who enter the world of folklore with interest and enthusiasm. One of the band’s crucial goals is showing the folk culture as authentic as possible. Its repertoire consists of traditional Polish national dances as well as dances and short folk songs from Łowicz, Lublin, Cracow, Rzeszów, Kashubia, Kurpie Green Forest, Silesia, Spisz and Nowy Sącz. During its gigs, the ensemble is accompanied by a folk band consisting of a dulcimer, trumpet, clarinet, violin and double bass. Krąg is currently a representative band of West Pomerania and gladly performs at numerous festivals and competitions, where it has already won many awards.
Song and Dance Ensemble “Suwalszczyzna” – Saturday, July 18, 19:15-19:45; a gig with Song and Dance Ensemble “Kurpie Zielone”, Saturday, July 18, 19:45-19:55
One of the oldest folk groups in Poland. It was established in 1969 and since then has been popularizing local traditions, attracting whole generations of dancers and musicians. Its repertoire consists of folk songs and dances not only from various regions of Poland and Lithuania, but also Flemish Region. Other than that, Suwalszczyzna also has two dance-theater shows in store. Currently the band operates under the direction of Robert Śliżewski. In their newest show, the dancers present dynamic Hutsul and Lublin dances, Rzeszów suite and many more interesting choreographies, which combine tradition with scenic bravery. Suwalszczyzna performs accompanied by a folk band.
Piotr Zgorzelski – Friday, July 17, Saturday, July 18, traditional dance workshop, Spodki, 10:00-14:00.
An animator, ethnologist and actor, who has for years been preserving Polish traditional dances in non-scenic forms, keeping them in cultural awareness. He established Traditional Dance Academy, and within its framework regularly conducts classes across the whole Poland. He learned his craft gathering advise directly from folk dancers and using archival recordings. He developed his own dance learning methodology, which considers individual predispositions of those who don’t have a chance to experience authentic folklore. He is able to pass to his students not only valuable skills, but also his passion. For almost a decade he has been a bassist and dancer in Janusz Prusinowski Kompania folk band.
SKUD “Dr Mladen Stojanovic” – Friday, July 17, 20:15-21:00
One of the oldest folklore groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1885 in Prijedor. Its wide repertoire of over 50 dance routines shows region’s cultural heritage. The group consists of dancers, singers and a folk band. The artists have an impressive collection of over 480 various beautiful traditional clothes, which as well as dances and music are carriers of the tradition. The group often performs both at national and international festivals; it has won many prestigious prizes. Everywhere they go, the artists win the audience over with spectacular, vibrant, memorable and colorful gigs.
Gerdan Theatre (Ukraine) – Sunday, July 19, 21:35-22:35
Ukrainian band operating for over three decades. Their art is an extraordinary mix of music and theatre play. The artists invite the audience to an intriguing world of ancient Ukrainian beliefs and rites, illustrated with moving folk songs performed in band’s own arrangements. Gerdan Theatre offers a deeply reflective, sometimes surprising perspective on Ukrainian cultural heritage. During their gigs the artists bravely show clearly noticeable yet very individual emotion.
Guilhem Desq – Saturday, July 17, 21:21-22:25
An artist from France, who has proven that a hurdy-gurdy, an instrument known for centuries, still holds many possibilities. He combined its sound with electronic music, creating an amazing, hypnotizing sound. During his musical journey he pushes progressively further boundaries of artistic search. He entwines folk sounds of a hurdy-gurdy with house or even heavy metal music. Desq collaborated with numerous musicians, wrote music for short films and international projects and performed almost all over the world. His first solo album, called Visions was released in 2017.
“Warmia” Vocal Group – Saturday, July 18, 17:40-18:05
This band from Lidzbark Warmiński (northeastern Poland) was established in 1993. It consists of members of German associations working towards preserving cultural heritage of former East Prussia, as well as other German-speaking countries. The artists popularize and cultivate the culture of Warmia and Masuria, fully aware of its originality. They also aim to establish a multinational dialogue, believing that music can best bring out what’s common and amaze with what’s unique. The group often performs at festivals in Poland; it also gigs in Germany. So far, the band has released three albums.
Dariusz Wójcik & Szaweł Lipski Quartet – Sunday, July 19, 17:55-18:55
Dariusz Wójcik is an actor, vocalist, director and organizer of cultural activities passionate with Jewish music. He can very well capture its unique character and richness. He performs the pieces with great awareness, largely thanks to pronunciation and interpretation classes he was given by Efraim Kisler, of blessed memory – a publicist and keeper of Jewish culture from Gdansk, who participated in Białystok Ghetto uprising. Dariusz Wójcik performed all over the world – he has for years been a soloist in Gdynia Musical Theater, he also collaborated with Baltic Opera in Gdansk. He is especially proud of his Broadway performance in Polish version of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Translated by: Błażej Bobowik