GODALKANJE: WILD STRINGS TRIO & GODALKANJE FIDDLE GANG

This year, the last weekend in October is again reserved for Godalkanje. This time, the violinists have invited the Wild Strings Trio, who will get a new, epic dimension and breadth in their otherwise recognizable and unique sound with new forces, the Godalkanje violinists. On Saturday, October 29, 2022, both established and upcoming artists of the “new folk” scene will play original and traditional compositions that go deep into the Balkan tradition at Kino Šiška. Through the elaborate arrangements, the Wild Strings Trio and Godalkanje Fiddle Gang, composed of talented violinists, express great exuberance and virtuosity, while at the same time leaving enough room for individuality and improvisation.

Wild Strings Trio was born in 2014 in Ljubljana as the fruit of collaboration between Slovakian jazz violinist Petra Onderufova, French classical cellist Toby Kuhn and Slovenian ethno guitarist Aleksandar Kuzmić. United by intense enthusiasm, deep devotion to each other and to themselves, and a common passion to create a unique sound, they tackled the challenge of mixing and highlighting different musical genres on the way to finding their own, appropriate expression. From the Balkans to Celtic, jazz and classical sounds with a touch of flamenco, driving roots in folk music tradition and improvisation and weaving around progressive arrangements and complex rhythms, their music has blossomed into a strong current that excites, touches and inspires. Their path has taken them around Europe, all the way to Iran and Uzbekistan, performing in concert halls, jazz clubs and on festival stages. We’ve heard Wild Strings Trio on many stages in our country (Jazz Cerkno, Floating Castle Festival, Ment Festival, Narodni Dom Maribor …), and together with Godalkanje Fiddle Gang, their music reaches new dimensions. The talented and persistent violinists who make up the band Godalkanje Fiddle Gang add new dimensions to the recognizable sound of the post jazz trio. Together, at the evening at Kino Šiška, they will string together a necklace of original and traditional compositions that go deep into the Balkan tradition. You will hear detailed arrangements with great exuberance and virtuosity, which at the same time leave room for individuality and improvisation. Emotional and lively music that will move you, as is already tradition at Godalkanje concerts.

Godalkanje

The founder and main mentor of Godalkanje, academic musician Bojan Cvetrežnik, felt the need for skills that could not be obtained in formal music education years ago. That’s how he founded Godalkanje, and in eleven years, many top experts – mentors for various string styles from different countries – participated in string-playing workshops and education. Godalkanje teaches mastery of (mainly) violin styles of the European region (from Istanbul to Ireland, from the Balkans to Scandinavia) as well as classical and improvised music. It helps classical musicians to decipher the riches that go beyond musical notation, and it helps folk string players with classical technique.

Bojan and the other mentors of Godalkanje, from a country that stood out for its lack of diversity in music education, managed to convince professional circles abroad that this kind of education in Slovenia is at a level that countries with a much longer tradition look up to.

Bojan Cvetrežnik, the founder and mentor of Godalkanje, and Barja Drnovšek have toured as mentors in many European countries (Ireland, Spain, England, Germany, Belgium), and the first generation of Godalkanje students has turned into the proper concert band Godalkanje/Slovenian Fiddle Gang during these years.

More on Godalkanje:

Web: https://godalkanje.org/home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/godalkanje/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3PrdIA7zzaCxD1ZZHaXMOA

Wild Strings Trio:

Web: https://wildstringstrio.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildstringstrio

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP27EqkC1xWoGEr5OXFRMsQ