This year's festival will open with a unique concert by the choir of the ‹Prenk Jakova› Music School in Gjakova and the Knabenkantorei Basel on the big stage of Theater Basel.
As lots of instruments were destroyed during the civil war, singing was, for a long time, the only form of musical expression in Kosovo. Under the direction of Astrit Pallaska, this skill has been worked on intensively and regularly by the youth choir of the ‹Prenk Jakova› Music School in Gjakova.
The KNABENKANTOREI BASEL is the natural successor of ‹Singknaben der evangelisch-reformierten Kirche Basel-Stadt›, which was founded in 1927. Today, the choir - consisting of roughly 45 boys and 35 men - has no religious affinity and performs both religious and non-religious works. The concerts of the Kantorei take it all around the world, e.g. to Russia (St. Petersburg), the USA (New York, Philadelphia), South Africa, Brazil and the Ukraine. Since 2007 the Knabenkantorei has been conducted by Markus Teutschbein, who continues to help the choir achieve unprecedented success both nationally and internationally. In May 2013, the choir even gave a concert for Pope Francis in Rome.
They will sing the works ‹Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen› by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and the chamber version of ‹Chichester Psalms› for mixed choir, organ (Pavao Mašić), harp (Milana Zaric) and percussion (Kaja Farszky) by Leonard Bernstein and traditional Albanian and Kosovar songs that deal with nature, pain, sadness, loss and even love.
After this contemplative start to the evening, TRAKTORKESTAR will really get the party started in the foyer of the theatre. The mind-blowing and heart-breaking brass band that literally upstages and outplays any big band: up-tempo disco grooves, fanfares of turbo sirens, full-blooded heart-wrenching ballads, soaring melodies all about home and the motherland, always rousing and always red hot. Right now, the twelve-piece band is taking the western hemisphere by storm. Blending its own distinctive brand of music with that of the Balkans, Traktorkestar brings town and country together, combining the traditional and the modern - hence Traktorkestar: tractor and orchestra!
And as if that wasn't enough for starters, we proudly present DJ GORAN POTKONJAKto get everyone dancing. The Zürich-based DJ is the inventor and founder of the legendary concert and DJ event series Balkankaravan. «We wish to welcome guests from near and far - to dance with them and to celebrate this sweet, sad, beautiful life.» Preferably all together and at once - and if it can't be live, then at least smouldering from the turntables! And if you haven't worked up a sweat by now, you only have yourself to blame.
Welcome to CULTURESCAPES Balkans 2013.
Come and celebrate with us and secure your ticket now.
Advance booking: THEATER BASEL
CHF 90.-/70.-/50.-/30.-
