The event, organized by the National Center for Culture and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, aims to remind of the versatility of cultures of the ethnic minorities living in Poland and their influence on the development of Polish culture, music and identity.
Milo Kurtis, the initiator and director of the festival , explains that the idea behind the festival is to present the spectre of the music of ethnic minorities , and the process of intertwining of various cultures and their coexistence.
The opening concert on Saturday was devoted the music heritage of the Roma community with the Caci Vorba ensemble, presenting their repertory inspired by the music of Polish and Balkan Gypsies, and a concert by the international Barcelona Gypsy Balkan Orchestra, comprising Roma artists from various European countries.
Sunday, the second day, of the festival sees the music of the Polish central Mazowsze province. Among the performers are the quintet Carnicy, performing traditional music from the Kurpie region as well as the ensamble Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa (The Warsaw Village Band) accompanied by jazz pianist Leszek Możdżer.
Pianist, composer and arranger Leszek Możdżer is among the most famous jazz musicians in Poland, and his fame has taken him around the world. He has been featured on over 100 albums.
Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa, established in 1997, is one of the most important representatives of Europe’s ethnic music scene updating traditional Polish folk music that has garnered BBC Radio Awards and a Grammy nomination, among a raft of other accolades.
The concerts of Poland’s National and Ethnic Minorities Music Festival are held at the Warsaw Stodoła club and are streamed on the website of the National Center for Culture .
Source IAR
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