If a street festival can sell out, BALKAN:NOW did. For three days, more than 7000 visitors danced, sang and connected with the diverse musicality of the region in the historic city centre of Veszprém, European Capital of Culture. The most important world music programme of the European Capital of Culture Veszprém-Balaton 2023 not only hosted Manu Chao, but also brought the curious musical face of the Balkans closer to the public in 32 open-air concerts, in a special professional event, while professionals learned a lot about Balkan music and the music industry.
Sunshine, broken rhythms, baklava
At the opening ceremony, Mike Friderika, representing the European Capital of Culture Veszprém-Balaton 2023, emphasized that Balkan music has a special place in the heart of the city and BALKAN:NOW will further colour the cultural profile of Veszprém.
The words of the Director of Programme Development were literally experienced by the thousands of visitors who jumped around the historic city centre to the beats of Bosnian ska punk, a cappella folk songs, experimental electronics and of course world stars such as Marina Satti and Manu Chao. Over 3 days, 32 performers from 9 countries in the region presented a comprehensive musical overview of the Balkans, showcasing its rich traditions and exciting present. Never before has there been such a Balkan party in our country, but there is a good chance that even the Balkan Peninsula itself has never seen such a wealth of styles in one musical event: everything from R’n’B to jazz.
Balkan atmosphere in the city of street musicians
Veszprém has also become famous for its Street Music Festival, so it’s no surprise that the city, which also holds the title of UNESCO City of Music, warmly welcomed the cool Balkan musicians. The spontaneity was palpable at every moment: At Daniele Sepe’s concert, a Hungarian folk singer joined in with one of the songs, Koszika making the audience laugh with a game of snaps. Dubioza had a multi-generational sold-out party, Almir Hasanbegovic threw himself into the audience, but he didn’t stop singing. Oratnitza got the audience so excited that hundreds of people kept dancing after the concert was over – turning the space into a spontaneous dance floor.
On Saturday, the beautiful voice of Zarina Prvasevda reached the souls, backed by the sensual R’n’B of Marina Satti, which was received with jubilation by the crowd in Old Town Square. The lucky ones also got to see revolutionary headliner Manu Chao in concert, and were treated to an exclusive endorphin rush of several hours, led by the street-musician-turned-ska-partisan-turned-world-star.
Building bridges through music
The musical celebration was accompanied by a three-day professional programme and a large-scale conference with hundreds of participants from Europe, Hungary, and the Balkans. The festival is a culminating event of the MOST project, a four-year comprehensive undertaking led by the Hungarian Hangvető, which integrates the region’s artists and music on the European market through a programme based on 4 professional pillars.
„This is the most important event that shows the success of our project, like a final exam. Only in this case, the celebration has already started during the exam”, said Balázs Weyer, Hangvető’s Director of Programming, and one of the creators of NOW, at the opening of the conference.
The project, co-funded by Creative Europe, has supported the careers of hundreds of music industry professionals, including 32 orchestras, 100 young managers and 60 festivals, through training, networking, mentoring, internships, performance opportunities, and financial support. Their journey was celebrated at the BALKAN:NOW conference, paving the way for new collaborations, which were targeted networking events in addition to concerts.
