Druga godba Festival

Contact

Mednarodni festival Druga godba

Trg prekomorskih brigad 1, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.drugagodba.si/

info@drugagodba.si

Phone386 (0) 59 366 166, 386 (0) 40 222 207

Organised byDruga godba Ljubljana

Frequencyannual

Festival dates29.5.2025 - 31.5.2025

Events

Past events

• 25 Oct 2017

  to

  29 Oct 2017

  PolandKatowice
  programme
  A national stand presenting Slovene music, organised by SIGIC, Slovene Music Information Centre, presenting a new compilation CD Tuning into the World: Slovenia, participating also Cankarjev dom, Druga godba Festival, Okarina Festival Bled and Glitterbeat Records At the WOMEX, the World Music Expo

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This major international world music festival was established in 1984 as an alternative and supplement to Ljubljana's concurrent music festivals, which at the time did not present more radical music practices.

Since its inception, Druga godba has developed into one of the most significant European festivals of its type, establishing collaborations with many other events and becoming a member of the European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals.

It runs a colourful programming policy, freely merging musicians proficient in contemporary hip hop, Ghanaian highlife, Saharan blues, "indie" Bossa Nova or ethnojazz.

The Congolose band Staff Benda Bilili performing at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Druga Godba Festival, 2011

This major international world music festival was established in 1984 as an alternative and supplement to Ljubljana's concurrent music festivals, which at the time did not present more radical music practices. Druga godba – its juicy name could be translated and written as "that other muzik" – was the first festival in the former Yugoslavia to introduce popular musics and styles from the Third World, including reggae and various styles of African music.

Since its inception, Druga godba has developed into one of the most significant European festivals of its type, establishing collaborations with many other events and becoming a member of the European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (EFWMF).

It runs a colourful programming policy, freely merging musicians proficient in contemporary hip hop, Ghanaian highlife, Saharan blues, "indie" Bossa Nova or ethnojazz.

The Roots, guests of Druga godba Festival in 1995, were supposedly the first foreign hip hop band performing in Slovenia

Programme and venues

Druga Godba has presented various artists and groups from far and wide. From traditional music to avant-garde approaches, from big names to emerging stars on the world music circuit. The festival regularly cooperates with other international organisations, cultural centres and embassies in devising its programmes and art exchange activities. Venues traditionally include Ljubljana's open-air stage at Križanke, the Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre, the Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture and Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone.

Since 2013, Druga godba Institute has expanded the festival programme to a year-round concert cycle, Sogodbe. This cycle continues the broad scope of the main festival and is bridled by neither genre nor continent. Besides staging concerts, Sogodbe also feature workshops, discussions and exhibitions.

Balkan Beat Box performing at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Druga Godba Festival, 2011

DruGod publishing label

Since 2004, Druga godba Ljubljana Institute's DruGod publishing label (the abbreviated DruGod means "elsewhere") releases an annual compilation presenting the artists on that year's festival lineup. Some Slovenian artists have also released their albums on the DruGod label, including folk revivalist singer Brina Vogelnik, jazz pianist Kaja Draksler, the bossa nova group Bossa de Novo and Godalika. The label also published Bisergora children's songs that have featured in the eponymous TV series.

History

At the outset, the festival's programme was primarily concerned with different kinds of "otherness in music": alternative rock, "rock in opposition", adventurous new jazz, improvised music and experimental music, as well as rediscovered Slovenian folk music. Gradually also other genres of ethnic music from both European and non-European cultural surroundings were included. Thus, the festival was a pioneer in the region in presenting representatives of African, Arab and Latino popular music, even before the actual European "boom" of so-called "world music". The legendary WOMAD festival developed simultaneously, and during the 1980s, both festivals cooperated creatively.

In the 1990s, when Slovenian concerts and festivals became wider in scope, primarily in the field of rock and jazz, the programme of the Druga godba Festival focused on "world music" and ethno music, with other genres remaining present but not as wide in their scope (still, the first foreign hip hop concert in Slovenia, The Roots, was set up here). Besides its basic programme, Druga godba Festival has offered various accompanying events, including street animations and concerts, music workshops, events for children, exhibitions, film screenings and lectures.

See also

• Druga godba Ljubljana
• Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture
• Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre
• Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone

External links

• Druga Godba Festival website
• European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (EFWMF)
• The Druga Godba Festival profile in UK Songlines Magazine
• Druga godba on Bandcamp

Gallery

Brina group portrait, 2011

Cover of Druga Godba Festival 2011 compilation, published by DruGod

The Klezmatics performing at Križanke, Druga Godba Festival, 1995

The Roots, guests of Druga godba Festival in 1995, were supposedly the first foreign hip hop band performing in Slovenia

Orlek performing at Druga Godba Festival, 1995

Post-Punk legends Gang of Four (UK) performing at Križanke during Druga godba Festival Ljubljana, 2008

Slovene folk band Katalena performing at Križanke during Druga godba Festival in Ljubljana, 2008

Nawal (Comoros), performing at Cankarjev dom during Druga godba Festival Ljubljana, 2008

Orchestra Baobab (Senegal) performing at Križanke during Druga godba Festival, Ljubljana, 2008

Dirtmusic (New York/ZDA, Melbourne/Avstralija, Ljubljana/Slovenija) and

Tamikrest (Kidal, Mali) performing at Križanke during Druga godba Festival, Ljubljana, 2010

Frédéric Nevchehirlian, poet and a musician from Marseille, France, performing on Druga Godba Festival at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, 2010

Peyoti for President, multi-ethnic collective of musicians from London, UK, performing on Druga Godba Festival at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, 2010

Maja Osojnik Band performing at Cankarjev dom during Druga godba Festival, Ljubljana, 2010

Mozambiqian singer Mariza (Lisbon, Portugal) and special guest TITO PARIS (Cape Verde) performing at Križanke Ljubljana's open air stage during Druga godba Festival, 2010

Nevchehirlian (Marseille, France) performing at Kino Šiška, during Druga godba Festival Ljubljana, 2010

Štefan Kovač Marko Banda and guests Mlada Beltinška Banda (Prekmurje, Slovenija), performing at Križanke during Druga godba Festival in Ljubljana, 2010

Wimme Saari (Finland) performing at Cankarjev dom during Druga godba Festival in Ljubljana, 2010

Balkan Beat Box performing at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Druga Godba Festival, 2011

Karlo Medjugorac, a designer who authored posters for a number of Druga Godba Festival editions

The Congolose band Staff Benda Bilili performing at Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Druga Godba Festival, 2011

Magnifico & Serbian Army Orchestra performing at Križanke, Druga Godba Festival, 2014

The Portuguese multimedia act Batida performing at Stara Elektrarna - Old Power Station, Druga Godba Festival, 2015

The Bosnian sevdah singer Božo Vrećo performing at Cankarjev dom, Druga Godba Festival, 2015

One of the Druga godba Festival venues, Gala Hala at Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone, 2015

The Mauritanian musician Noura Mint Seymali performing at Cankarjev dom, Druga Godba Festival, 2015

The first roundtable discussion on hearing protection at music events during Druga godba festival organized by Zavod Tinitus in May 2023. Experts and collaborators from the music scene came together to address the increasing importance of establishing a safer listening culture and explored potential measures to safeguard hearing from excessive sound exposure at such gatherings.