“We open a rainbow. Between the old and the new. Between traditions, cultures, genres. Between you and me. Music in all colours and in all the shades of ethno, folk, ethno jazz, and world music, electro, dark folk, ethno rock, traditional dance music, and songs from all corners of the world – the five open-air stages of the Kraków festival will resound with them all. Shining bright on all the stages will be the leading stars of the Polish ethno stage and hallmark names of the world music stage who have long lived and worked in Poland” – goes the invitation from Jan Słowiński, director of the Crossroads Festival.

 

This year’s concerts in the courtyard of Radio Kraków (aired live): Wernyhora (15 August) – the winners of New Tradition 2021, specialising in reconstructing Boiko music, and T/Aboret (22 August) – finalists of the New Tradition who now promote their exceptionally successful Cyjanotypia CD.

 

The stage in Park Henryka Jordana boasts (among others) EtnoKraków for Children (21–22 August) intended primarily for the youngest music lovers. Dance workshops by Bogusława and Piotr Zgorzelscy (Akademia Tańca Tradycyjnego) will be accompanied by the musicians of Zawierucha, and those by Katarzyna Chodoń by the band Skrzaciki. Ania Broda will invite you to a concert entitled “Meloliryka – zakwita muzyka" (Let the Music Blossom), a workshop of Silesian songs will be run by Kasia Dudziak, and ŻyWa Pracownia will attract the youngest, working on the “musical” bicycle parts! On Sunday night (22 August), the meetings in Park Jordana will close in Śląskie powstajeconcert with Krzikopa band, winners of New Tradition 2019.

 

On 20 and 21 August, the open stages of Forty Kleparz will resound with music. The international Buba & Bantamba, set up by Buba Badjie Kuyateh, a composer, singer, and virtuoso of the kora hailing from Gambia, will offer dance music melding funk, jazz, and contemporary sounds. Concerts in the Forts will also bring you to the ethno jazz stage. Rasm Almashan inspired by Yemeni music and Joanna Słowińska interpreting the traditional motifs of Polish and Slavic music will perform in the company of the leading improvising musicians. Other performers in the Forts will be the international Nasmeh trio composed of Aleksandra Zawłocka, a Syrian musician and composer Wassim Ibrahim, and a Mexican percussionist Tomas Celis Sanchez. Percival will perform an acoustic concert inspired by the history and culture of bygone Slavs, the dark folk Daj Ognia – finalist of New Tradition 2021, and Zawierucha, this year’s winner of the Grand Prix of this prestigious competition, will make you dance. The open-air concerts will be hosted by Krzysztof Trebunia-Tutka and Piotr Krasnowolski.

 

As always, the festival nights will overflow with fascinating music. Alchemia Club will resound with the Noc Tańca Etnoelektro / Night of EthnoElectro Dance / (19 August): a new project by Bisztyga/Pruski, Eta Hox, and masters of club ethno sounds. Noc Tańca pod gołym niebem / Night of Dance Under the Starry Skies – on the Northern Stage of Forty Kleparz known as “kocie uszy”, that is “cat’s ears” (20 August) is a meeting with (not only!) the admirable Tęgie Chłopy dance band. Noc Pieśni / Night of Song (also open-air, also in the Forts, also on “kocie uszy” stage but on 21 August) will be filled with the sound of (again: not only!) Nasmeh trio, Dola band, and the songs of Ania Broda.

 

The accompanying events include the Prologue with screenings of a selection of recordings of the most outstanding concerts from the previous editions of the EtnoKraków/Rozstaje // Crossroads Festival, held on the beach of the Bulwar Kurlandzki from 13 to 15 August.

And the EtnoKraków/Rozstaje // Crossroads Epilogue: Symphony No. 2 “Four Corners of the World” with the music of Stanisław Słowiński performed under the composer’s baton by InfraArt Orchestra and eminent soloists at ICE Kraków on 1 October. As is the way with epilogues, this coproduction accompanying the festival closes this year’s programme.

 

Let’s meet at the Rozstaje / Crossroads. In (ethno)Kraków.