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Slavfest 2008

SlavFest aims to present Slavic culture and traditional life style to the British public especially in the light of Her Majesty Queen’s visit to Slovakia next autumn.

SlavFest programme will feature concerts of traditional folk musicians as well as popular ones. There will be stands offering live workshops in traditional arts and crafts: basket making, glass blowing, flute making and much more. Within the dance scene there will be performances in traditional dances, e.g the Hat dance, or Kazatchok, with a chance to take part in dance lessons. Moreover, the most significant towns and cities of the Slavic region will have their own stands presenting their most treasured tourist attractions. On the whole, there will be around 200 exhibitors and musicians in 30 odd stands, main stage and a theatre tent.

The concert of the most remarkable Slovak jazz personality of Peter Lipa, starting at 7pm at St. Peter’s Church, Black Lion Lane, Hammersmith, W6 is undoubtedly the main Friday evening event. In the questionnaire of the International Jazz Federation’s magazine, he has regularly ranked amongst the best European jazz singers since the 1980’s. Peter Lipa is probably the most significant personality of Slovakian jazz. He is a singer, composer, dramaturge and organiser, presenter and promoter of one of the greatest European festivals `Bratislava Jazz Days` His roots are blues, soul and classical mainstream. His music ranges from classical jazz standards through Latin American jazz, jazz chanson and spiritual to funky and rock.

What to say more about him? Experience your jazz night with us!

Saturday evening will have its own musical attraction: the Gypsy Devils concert at 7pm at St. Peter’s Church, Black Lion Lane, Hammersmith, W6. The most famous Slovak Gypsy band is the descendant of the Devil’s Violin, familiar to the British public through their two concerts in England in 2006, in London and Oxford. Gypsy Devils beguile their audiences by original compositions, daring arrangements and hitherto unheard musical combinations. Their repertoire range from Slovak, Russian, Hungarian Greek, Gypsy, Jewish or Roman ethnic music, through jazz and operetta to film music. The Gypsy Slovak music critics rank the Gypsy Devils orchestra on the top of the ethnic and world music groups in Slovakia. Los

Remedios, performing on Saturday at 7pm at St. Peter’s Church, Black Lion Lane, Hammersmith, W6, is a group of professional musicians specializing in composing and interpreting the music inspired by the Andalusian style of flamenco. Today, the concept of flamenco covers an unusually extensive range of different styles. Los Remedios utilizes especially flamenco’s unique rhythmic pulsation and melodic processes; moreover, it enriches its music by elements of jazz, classical music as well as the new 20th century music, including expressionism, neoprimitivism and neoclassicism. Thanks to these various elements, Los Remedios have a chance to shift the limits of flamenco beyond its already discovered possibilities.