Symposium
Return to Europe — Talking Balkans
3 and 4 April 2008
The international symposium “Return to Europe. Talking Balkans”, presented by ERSTE Foundation and ORF RadioKulturhaus, announces the start of the first season of the TV documentary “Balkan Express”, which will be broadcast on 3sat (starting 27 April 2008) and ORF (autumn 2008). The documentary is a co-production of pre tv, 3sat und ORF in cooperation with the European Stability Initiative (ESI).
“Balkan Express” was initiated by ERSTE Foundation. The scientific content of the scripts for the documentaries is the result of research instigated by ERSTE Foundation and conducted by the think tank European Stability Initiative (ESI), which have been cooperating for a long time. European issues are one of the three main topics of the Foundation, they even constitute a programme of their own, and a large part of the continent is the Foundation’s operational field.
The ten-part documentary series is one of the most ambitious TV projects on South Eastern Europe produced in recent years. It thus gives, above all, those people the opportunity to comment on their present situation who have, since the mid-1990s, contributed to the region’s path toward the European Union, to the pacification of the conflict-ridden countries, some of them quite young, and to building a civil society. Artists, lawyers, journalists, activists, but also mayors and football players tell their version of the story. With powerful images, the 55-minute episodes give a new perspective on the present and possible future of the region.
At the “Großer Sendesaal” studio, international representatives of politics, culture, business and science will discuss the “Balkan concept” on 3-4 April 2008. In addition to exclusive clips from the documentary series, the programme also features examples of video art from the region.
On 7-8 April, the ORF RadioKulturhaus presents the common language of the versatile Balkan culture: music. On 7 April, the programme starts with the Martin Lubenov Orkestar, which is made up of renowned Roma musicians from Bulgaria and culturally curious jazz musicians of the Austrian music scene. Without a doubt, Martin Lubenov is one of the most important and most innovative arrangers and composers of Balkan accordion beyond light music – which does not mean that his music is not entertaining. Far from it!
At a very early stage, Martin Lubenov has found his own style, which adds elements of swing, modern jazz, tango nuevo, salsa und musette to Balkan Roma music with breathtaking virtuosity and playful elegance. With Petar Yankov (vocals), Krasimir Malakov (clarinet), Aleksandar “Aca” Stojić (guitar), Stefan Thaler (contrabass) und Harald Tantschek (percussion).
“Balkan Express” ends on 8 April with the presentation of two bands: First, the singer and e-guitarist Ljubinka Yokić from Bania Luka, Bosnia, and her band “Ljubinka Yokić & Yok”, playing traditional songs, Roma chansons from the Balkans to Russia as well as Yugo-pop-rock classics of the 1970s and 1980s with a new sound. With: Mathias Jakišić (violin), Jovan Torbica (contrabass) and Peter Rosmanith (percussion). Secondly, “Fanfare Savale”, a group from the Romanian village Zece Prajini. In Zece Prajini, a small town of only 140 houses and 560 residents, everybody plays at least one instrument.
The fact that not one of the interpreters has studied music ensures the authenticity of the music performed and made the village an object studied by musicologists, musicians and ethnologists. Today, “Fanfare Savale” is an internationally sought-after band which has gained cult status.
