The streets of Karlovac town are soon to be filled with colour, upbeat rhythms and some mesmerising dance routines: the International Folklore Festival is starting this Sunday, July 2, as reported by lokalni.hr.
This beloved manifestation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, proving that people are still interested in traditional music and dance – and the enthusiasm isn't limited to their own communities, but extends towards the cultural heritage of other countries. In recent years, Karlovac was visited by more than 3.200 participants whose performances were followed by 20.000 spectators – impressive numbers!
This year, the audience in Karlovac has the opportunity to watch the best folklore dancers from six guest countries: Taiwan, Northern Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain and Burundi.
Festival coordinator Ivana Moškun Štefanac said the festival visitors will get the chance to see the local talents as well, as the Folklore Ensemble Matija Gubec is to perform in their hometown of Karlovac.
"All the groups are extremely talented, and the dancers from Burundi are coming to the festival with a special attraction – big drums, weighing almost 70kg, as drums are an important part of the Burundian cultural heritage. Their drum-playing skills are almost mystical, as they symbolise the connection between people, music, and instruments", announced Moškun Štefanac.
Festival director Željko Štajcer said the six days of the festival will take the performers on a tour of multiple towns in Karlovac County, including Ozalj and Duga Resa. The opening ceremony is taking place on Sunday, July 2 at 8:30 PM, starting with a parade of all ensembles through the centre of Karlovac and finishing with a spectacular performance at Šanac basketball court, or in the sports hall Mladost in case of bad weather. Every day at 8 PM, a new concert is to take place in front of Zorin Dom theatre, and the festival is crowned by a closing performance at Šanac on Saturday, July 8.
You can see some wonderful photos from the previous editions of the festival on their Facebook page, along with a schedule of events for next week.
