Bal O’Gadjo
Sailing on an intoxicating flow of Eastern music, and driven by a strong southern wind, Bal O'Gadjo sweeps the audience into dance with its warm rhythms. They have been blending and connecting traditional music and songs from around the world since 2005. In their last album, they strengthen their vocal section with beautiful polyphonies. Through their compositions, they transport us to a bustling market in Thessaloniki or the mountains of Kurdistan, telling stories of exile, resistance, and inner struggles.
- Lucie Gibaux: Clarinet, vocals
- Lucile Magnan: Cello, vocals
- Fabien Bucher: Guitar, vocals
- Paul Oliver: Violin, saz, vocals
- Samuel Wornom: Derbouka, doholla, daf, vocals
BAL LAB
Close musical encounters of the dance kind. Acoustic trio with sharp and tender music inspired by France. Bloody ballads and even bloodier romances in French enriched by own instrumental compositions; folk tradition spiced with a pinch of jazz. Modern folklore with a dramatic twist.
- Kieren Alexander: accordion
- Jan Bartošek: violin
- Mikuláš Bryan: cittern, stompbox, vocals
Bouton
Bouton is a quartet of electro-folk musicians from Liège (Belgium) who combine traditional European dance rhythms with original compositions and groovy atmosphere. Expect an exciting, immersive musical experience that awakens the senses and touches the soul.
- Fanny Vandenbergh: vocals
- Joachim Loneux: diatonic accordion
- Rudy Mathey: bass clarinet
- Gilles Doneux: sound design
Filippo Gambetta
Filippo Gambetta comes from Northern Italy and presents innovative contemporary folk music with lots of different influences. He composes original pieces for diatonic accordion. Besides bal folk, he plays also traditional Irish and Brazilian music.
He has played at many festivals and collaborated with many artists and bands. This time, he will play not only solo, but also with Hilde Van Belle. We don’t know what exactly to expect, but it is definitely going to be a unique concert.
Folk Knock
It all started with spontaneous after-bal jams in Prague. Two experienced musicians decided to share their passion for traditional music and dancing and formed a duo called Folk Knock. The band is quite new, but they have already composed and arranged some original pieces and played in a few bals.
Besides the usual sound of banjo, flute and accordion, they are preparing something special just for the festival.
- Zoe Perrenoud: accordion
- Emil Riumkin: flutes, banjo
Hilde Van Belle
To enjoy a great dance, you don’t need a band with five or more members. All you need is a piano, ten nimble fingers and the beautiful voice of Hilde Van Belle. This time, though, she has invited a guest, accordionist Filippo Gambetta.
We are looking forward to hearing not only two soloists, but also a unique duo.
L'Air inconnu
L’Air Inconnu is a creative musical trio, at the service of today's traditional dance and curious ears.
Their compositions and arrangements of traditional themes are inspired by emotions and strong sensations experienced in balls and festivals: joy of encounter, intimate poetry, virulence of sound, energy of bodies in motion, collective trance, ...
- Sylvain Pool: Accordion, guitar, voice
- Fabien Bucher: Guitar, mandolin, voice
- Daniel Velasco: Violin, voice
Light Migrations
Light Migrations form a musical space of energy, intimacy and intercultural connections.
While their repertoire consists of popular bal folk dances (chappelloises, scottishes, mazurkas, bourees 2 temps and 3 temps, waltzes, polskas, hanter dros, an dros and many more), they attempt to go beyond with their vast musical expertise of many European traditions, their sound range heavily influenced by the Scandinavian and Celtic elements.
- Olena Yeremenko - nyckelharpa, fiddle (Ukraine)
- Jan Gałczewski - Irish bouzouki (Poland)
- Michał Górka - mandola, tagelharpa, cello (Poland)
- Jakub Szczygieł - wooden flute, whistles (Poland)
Marina Lazar
Marina Lazar is a classically trained pianist who started to dance bal folk during her studies at HAMU in Prague. When the covid pandemic hit, she started to compose her own music for the cd Quarantunes / Karantóny by balfolk.cz, and since then she added many more tunes to her repertoire.
Her gentle, dreamy melodies with a classical twist can be occasionally heard at bals, jams and even some festivals.
