About The Festival - Centrum Kultury Zamek w Poznaniu

The idea

Among the questions we’ve been asking ourselves before the upcoming festival—the already 17th Ethno Port—one remains particularly important. In fact, it’s the most important question of all: is the formula of the event still attractive? We seek to bring together the audience and artists whose music and song draw on various, not infrequently distant native traditions. But is that encounter a source of novel, eye-opening experiences that stay with us for a long time? Does it have the power to influence our lives and change something about them?

Our own answers—inevitably subjective, informed by emotion and attachment to one’s own fascinations—are of secondary importance. The only answer that counts is given by the festival audience, and that is unequivocally positive. Their spontaneous reactions during concerts and opinions expressed after the entire event are the most authoritative validation of our choices and the need for the festival to continue, despite the passing years.

Shaped throughout the previous editions of the festival, the Ethno Port community is a multi-generational phenomenon. The atmosphere in and around the Castle during those June days is extraordinary. The all-pervading friendly vibe and the collective experience are so much of a break from daily life that the charge of positive energy is guaranteed to last you weeks after the last concert.

As usual, festival-goers are in for numerous and varied live concerts. We will obviously uphold the legacy of previous editions, but there will also be new acts that have emerged on the world music scene. And so, we are going to take the listeners to the Far East, to distant Korea and the boundless steppes of Mongolia, north to the land of the Sámi people, west to our Serbian-Lusatian neighbours and to the southernmost end of Africa. Venturing into the four directions of the world, we will also visit Macedonia, France, Belgium, Spain, and the Middle East.

The concerts will be held on three stages: in CK Zamek’s Grand Hall, in the Castle courtyard and in the Adam Mickiewicz Park. On top of that, there will be workshops, film screenings, discussions, and great activities prepared specially for children, the next generation of festival-goers. Shortly before the celebrations take off, an exhibition showing the portraits of the Ethno Port community will open in the Grand Lobby at CK ZAMEK.

Whether you’re a long-standing fan or new to Ethno Port, join us in listening to the world together all the same. Courtesy of music from fascinating places around the globe, there are four days of pure joy and delight ahead of us.

Andrzej Maszewski

History

When the history of Ethno Port began in 2008, little did we know how fascinating the journey we were embarking on would be. For starters, we found a beautiful, though somewhat neglected space on the river near the very heart of the city, and it was there that we decided to arrange a meeting of artists playing ethnic music with the audience. From the beginning, our most important task was to strive for the best possible quality of the encounter, ensure a splendid atmosphere and excellent arrangements. However, we worried how many people would actually come to the festival.

On Friday, June 13th, 2008, the first night in the festival’s history, it turned out that the number of people who knew a thing or two about ethnic music and expected to hear the best it can offer sufficed to create an unforgettable atmosphere during the shows. Meanwhile, the artists performing at the first Ethno Port, such as Värttina, Chemirani Ensemble, Adama Drame or Oumou Sangare set the standard which would then characterize all subsequent editions.

In 2013, the most important and the riskiest decision in the history of the festival was taken; Ethno Port relocated from the riverside plot to ZAMEK Culture Centre. The new formula, taking advantage of the potential of interiors which had just been completely overhauled at the castle, stood the test, while the transformation of the monumental stone edifice into a colourful venue proved a fascinating challenge.

Throughout the last fourteen years, Ethno Port saw over 150 bands and performers from all corners of the globe. About a third among those are artists from Poland, whom we consistently showcase along with the most outstanding personalities of world music. It cannot be denied that the list of all acts who came to Poznań is nothing short of imposing:

47Soul / Adam Strug Kompania / Ballaké Sissoko / DakhaBrakha / Danyèl Waro, Debashish Bhattacharya & Kacper Malisz / Dom Tańca Poznań / Driss El Maloumi / Félix Lajkó Trio / Iva Bittová & Čikori Los Pirañas / Maniucha i Ksawery / Mari Boine / Michał Felter „Polmuz” / Mosaik / Taraf De Haïdouks / Trio López / Petrakis / Chemirani / A Filetta / Abavuki / Adama Dramé / Alamut / Alireza Ghorbani / Amit Carmeli & Joca Perpignan / Andrew Cronshaw & Svetlana Spajić & Tigran Aleksanyan / Arifa / Balkan Beat Box / Banda Nella Nebbia / Baraji / Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba / Bijan Chemirani / Boban & Marko Marković Orchestra / Bubliczki / Čači Vorba / Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino / Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita / Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole / Celso Piña / Charming Hostess / Chemirani’s / Chicuelo / Christine Salem / Cumbia All Stars / Cüneyt Sepetçi & Orchestra Dolapdere / Dagadana / Dakha Brakha / Debashish Bhattacharya / Desert Slide / Dhafer Youssef / Dikanda / Dimitris Mystakidis / Djivan Gasparyan / Dom Tańca Poznań / Dubioza Kolektiv / Dżezbandyta / Fadia Tomb El-Hage / Eva Quartet / Faiz Ali Faiz / Fanfara Transilvania / Fanfaraï / Fanfare Ciocărlia / Ganesh-Kumaresh / Félix Lajkó / Fláre Beás Band / Gadająca Tykwa / Gramy! / Gulaza / Habib Koité & Bamada / Hanggai / Hee-Moon Lee Company / Hossein Alizadeh & Pejman Hadadi / Houria Aïchi & L’Hijâz’Car / Hysni(Niko) Zela & Albanian Isopolyphonic Choir / Ibrahim Maalouf / Ifriqiyya Electrique / Indialucia / Ionică Minune Band & Alex Simu / Iva Bittová & Lisa Moore / Jambinai / Janusz Prusinowski Trio / Jean-Luc Thomas & Yvon Riou / Joanna Słowińska / Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara / Kalàscima / Kapela Hałasów / Kapela Maliszów / Kapela ze wsi Warszawa & Mercedes Peón / Karolina Cicha & Bart Pałyga / Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan / Kimmo Pohjonen / Klezmafour / Krzikopa / LA-33 / Lautari / Le Trio Joubran / Les Tambours de Brazza / Lo Còr de la Plana / Lula Pena / Maalem Mokhtar Gania & Michael Zerang & Wacław Zimpel / Mairtin O’Connor Band / Mariana Sadovska / Mari Boine / Maria Pomianowska / Masala Soundsystem / Moh! Kouyaté / Mosaic / Motion Trio / Muzsikás / Muzykanci / Na Visoko / Nawal / Noreum Machi / Noura Mint Seymali / Oumou Sangare / Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia / Panjabi MC / Pekko Käppi / Rabasa / Radio Cos / Raphael Rogiński & Genowefa Lenarcik / Renata Rosa / Ross Daly / Rube Świnÿe / R.U.T.A / Sefardix Trio / Selamnesh & Badume's Band / Shafqat Ali Khan / Sirventés / Söndörgő / Speed Caravan / Staff Benda Bilili / Sutari / Taksim Trio / Tamikrest / Taraf De Haidouks / Titi Robin / Tarek Abdallah & Adel Shams el Din / Teresa Mirga i Kałe Bała / Transglobal Underground / Transkapela / Trebunie Tutki & Twinkle Brothers / Trio 3MA / Tsigunz Fanfara Avantura / uKanDanz / Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin / Värttinä / Vidlunnia / Village Kollektiv / Violons Barbares / Wimme / WoWaKin / Yat- Kha / Yemen Blues / YeShe / Zofia Dragan & Kapela Manugi / Żywiołak / Sutari / Taksim Trio / Tamikrest / Taraf De Haidouks / Titi Robin / Tarek Abdallah & Adel Shams el Din / Teresa Mirga i Kałe Bała / Transglobal Underground / Transkapela / Trebunie Tutki & Twinkle Brothers / Trio 3MA / Tsigunz Fanfara Avantura / uKanDanz / Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin / Värttinä / Vidlunnia / Village Kollektiv / Violons Barbares / Wimme / WoWaKin / Yat- Kha / Yemen Blues / YeShe / Zofia Dragan & Kapela Manugi / Żywiołak / Sutari / Fanfara Awantura / Noiseband / Przodki / Kapela Dudziarzy Wielkopolskich / Timingeriu / Mehehe / Released Sounds Trio / Nasta Niakrasava / Vorsoba & Porakh / Koło Jana / Baul Meets Saz / Kapela Brodów / Odpoczno / Sofiane Saidi & Mazalda / The Como Mamas / Laboratorium Pieśni / Nooran Sisters / The Garifuna Collective / Lankum / Lina Babilonia y Son Ancestros / Evritiki Zygia / Lemma – Souad Asla / Kapela Niwińskich / Maija Kauhanen / Waed Bouhasssoun / Super Parquet / Yegor Zabelov / Wernyhora / Masar / Okra Playground / Trio Da Kali / Zawierucha / Cimbalom Brothers / The Sero / Justin Adams & Mauro Durante / Sepia Ensemble