Ethnoport, Poznan, Poland 2024
The Ethno Port Festival has been held for the 17th time. This is a unique event that has become a permanent part of the cultural landscape of the city, Poland and even Europe. Ethno Port is not only music, but above all community – a phenomenon of a multi- generational community that grows stronger and stronger with each edition. It is here, within the walls of the Castle and in its courtyard, that a space of mutual kindness, openness and collective experience is created for a few days in June. The atmosphere during the festival is unique and difficult to describe – a mixture of authentic enthusiasm, respect for diversity and the desire to celebrate music from all over the world together. It is these elements that make the participants of the Ethno Port Festival, regardless of age, feel like part of something bigger, and the positive energy that the artists and the audience bring with them stays with them long after the last concert. The festival creates a safe space where you can break away from everyday life, make new friends and draw inspiration for the coming weeks. Ethno Port is a meeting place – for generations, cultures and traditions – where music becomes a common language, and the castle in the heart of Poznań turns into a symbol of openness and cooperation for intercultural dialogue.
The Artists from the Sounds of Europe project invited on the festival
1) Las Lloronas (Spain/Belgium/Germany)
With a blend of acoustic melodies and rhythm, the three women of Las Lloronas seduce their audiences musically. Sura Solomon (Belgium/USA), Amber in 't Veld (Spain/Netherlands) and Marieke Werner (Germany) met many years ago, sharing passion for sociology, activism, and art, only to translate it later into music. Their work is a reflection of their experiences and backgrounds. The artists combine various musical traditions with slam to create intimate, multilingual feminist poetry. Accompanied by guitar, accordion, ukulele and clarinet, Las Lloronas weave a delightful polyphony of traditional Spanish music, klezmer, fado, blues, and slam.
2) Haratago (France)
The group's leader, singer and percussionist Julen Achiary sets the songs of his ancestors—the mountain shepherds of the Basque Country—in the soundscape of duduk, hurdy-gurdy and viola da gamba, taking inspiration from his encounters with Turkish and Azerbaijani musicians. Haratago experiment, rediscover the power of the modal melodies of the Basa Ahaide. These "songs of the wild world" of the Basque shepherds of Soule, performed solo and a cappella, are genuine treasures, arranged by the quartet's musicians looking to the East and the Caucasus for inspiration.
3) Džambo Aguševi Orchestra (Macedonia)
Džambo Aguševi Orchestra are an eleven-piece brass band of virtuosos who serve traditional Balkan, Gypsy and Turkish music with a jazzy, swinging and pop twist. Today, Džambo Aguševi Orchestra is considered one of the best gypsy wind orchestras in Europe. The musicians come from eastern Macedonia and Balkan rhythms are simply in their blood. The four trumpets, two drum sets, three tenor saxhorns and a tuba—with a charismatic vocal on top of that—combine into an explosive mix of sounds that will rouse you to dance in an instant.