The festival kicks off with the Stara Tradycja (Old Tradition) concert at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, featuring 12 top performers from various Polish regions, including the central region of Mazovia and Silesia in the south.
These artists, who are winners of a national traditional music competition, will present a range of vocal and instrumental pieces.
From Wednesday to Saturday, audiences at the Forteca venue on Warsaw's Zakroczymska Street can immerse themselves in a cultural experience that spans centuries.
The mazurka is a traditional Polish folk song and dance form as well as a formalized style of composition in triple meter, made famous by Romantic composer Frédéric Chopin's many pieces written in the style.
This year's theme, Po kole (Along the Circle), is explained by artistic director Janusz Prusinowski as reflecting the circular patterns found in traditional dance and significant life events, as well as the cyclic nature of seasons and life itself: "from the arrangement of couples dancing in a circle in an old wedding chamber, to the Croatian dance kolo."
The theme highlights connections between past and present, celebrating how these traditions continue to resonate in modern times.
It also alludes to the peregrinations of Poles from the historic region of Galicia, economic migrants who left for Croatia and Bosnia during the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and returned to Poland's Lower Silesia region after World War II, bringing with them their songs and instruments.
Two standout concerts are scheduled during the festival. The first, Chłopi. Wesele Boryny (The Peasants: Boryna's Wedding), takes place on Thursday and is a theatrical representation inspired by old wedding customs from the Łowicz area of central Poland.
It features performances by local masters such as Sławomir Czekalski and Jan Szymański, and younger musicians who are keeping the region's musical heritage alive.
The second, the Croatian-themed Za słońcem (Towards the Sun) concert on Friday, explores the rich spectrum of Croatian traditional music, including UNESCO-listed vocal forms such as ojkanje and bećarac, supported by a tamburica orchestra and bagpipes.
Beyond the concerts, the festival is packed with activities, including singing, dancing, and workshops that delve into the techniques of traditional music at a number of venues on both sides of the Vistula River, which intersects the Polish capital.
A colorful instrument fair will offer demonstrations and mini-concerts, and "Little Mazurkas" are specially organized for children, making the festival a family-friendly event.
The festival will close with the "Night of Dance" on April 20, a 10-hour marathon of music and dance featuring both rural and urban bands from across Poland and abroad, celebrating the joy of folk music until the early morning. Ajde!
Full program is available from the festival's website: festivalmazurki.pl
(rt/gs)
Source: polskieradio.pl