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THE 30th
FOLK FESTIVAL UNDER POLANA DETVA 1995
DANA'S
REPORT
Dear friends!
It's my pleasure to give you best
greetings from the visitors and performers, who took part at the 30th Folk
festival under the Polana in Detva.
Especially warm are greetings from
Slovaks who live abroad and who for this occasion visited Slovakia. The
beginning of the summer in our small Slovakia seems as if a bag-full of
folk songs, music and dance has torn apart. Every week in different towns
there are several folk festivals at the same time and one doesn't know
where to turn first. The real fans of "folklore" have their
luggage always packed, so that they could take it and run where they need.
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The primacy among the folk festivals is held by and Detva. Vychodna
always held the first and Detva the second weekend in July. This year Vychodna
was one week earlier because of the visit of the Holy father John Paul II,
who visited Slovakia on the 30th of June and stayed here several days.
Perhaps somebody else will write about this occasion. At that time I was
abroad an in few days I'm traveling again.
I was lucky to be here at the time of our festival in Detva, so I can
describe the atmosphere of the whole occasion from the beginning till the
end, during the day and at night. Even the weather was generous to our
festival. The sun was shining all the time, there wasn't one cloud in the
sky. The people were the same-smiling, happy and in the good mood.
FIRST DAY
On Friday, 7th of July, that means in
the evening of the first day of the festival, in the Town's Cultural
Center, Detva welcomed the chairman of the Parliament of the Slovak
Republic Mr. Ivan Gasparovic, who took part at the opening of the
exhibition of the academic sculptor Jan Kulich. Mr. Gasparovic couldn't be
missing at the opening program on Friday evening. He was not only
watching, but suddenly he became a performer. After his speech in the
crowded amphitheater he was given a Fujara by a local Detvan. I have
taught this vas a gift to him from the city of Detva. The people started
to scream: "Play, play" - and the chairman of the Parliament
didn't hesitate a moment, took the fujara and started playing. He was
given GREAT applause, of course.
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The first program of the festival has its constant name: "Welcome in
Detva." Performing groups are "home folk group" from Detva
and the whole Podpolanie. This time they also included folk group "Nadeje"
from Paris, that has been visiting and performing at Detva for already 20
years, and became a member of our big family. After "Welcome in
Detva" the program continued with Bethlehemci until the midnight when
it finished with ringing the midnight bells, which was fantastic.
Very interesting part of the festival were the exhibitions. One of them I
already mentioned. Next one was the collection (from the production) of
Ondrej Krnac, born in Detva, living in Toronto, Canada. I didn't meet Mr.
Krnac personally. When I visited the exhibition, he was watching the
program. What I know from the organizers is, that he studied at the
"Art College School of Toronto," modeling and carving. His works
were shown at various exhibitions: McKeesport, Pittsburgh, Buffalo in USA
and Toronto, Canada.
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Biographic exhibitions "From the
life and works of Karol A. Medvecky" should really be described in
more detail than it is possible in this article. I'll just mention that
Karol Anton Medvecky was a catholic priest who worked in Detva. In 1905,
he published a monograph "Detva" and now, as we are celebrating
the 120th anniversary of his birthday, the first re-edition of his book
was published. There was also a program "Ballads" dedicated to
this "great personality."
SECOND DAY
On Saturday morning it wasn't roosters
announcing a new day that woke us up, not even the alarm clock. I was
still sleeping when I heard that somebody is tuning his or her musical
instruments right under our windows. Let the Balog's - musicians forgive
me, but I knew at once that it couldn't be anyone else than Julo Bartos -
"Suko" with his band from Cierny Balog. I was right. I
recognized them after the first tones. "Balockari" are famous
for their own tuning of the instruments, especially bass. The musicians
played for "good morning" but for them probably "good
night" because looking at their faces it was clear that they were
ready for bed.
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The local radio played merry folk songs and the announcer invited
everybody to visit the other performances.
The afternoon program started with the performance of the children's folk
groups from various towns in Slovakia.
You can't imagine a more beautiful thing than seeing happy kids singing,
dancing, and playing. I can't name everybody. I'll just mention 5 year-old
Petko Danihel from Zvolen. He came to the microphone, himself adjusted the
microphone to his height and started singing ... As he was singing, he
didn't forget to "shoot" the smiles to the audience and then
wasn't afraid of the photographers, cameras and applause. Our traditions
won't die out when we have such "folklorist"!
Let's come back to the program. On Saturday afternoon the stage is always
reserved for the jubilee folk groups.
Later on in the evening we have seen the village folk groups who showed us
the old village wedding custom and traditions from Horehronie and Podpolanie.
The jubilee groups were Rozsutec from Zilina, Mostar from Brezno and the
local group Podpolanec. Later on at night the foreign universities' groups
from Italy and Bulgaria came to greet our festival. They took part at the
international festival Academic Zvolen that usually comes during the week
between Vychodna and Detva.
The night from Saturday to Sunday is sleepless. There are numbers of folk
entertainments, and it's not only at the places determined for this, you
can hear music and folk singing everywhere you go. Whoever has gotten a
music instrument - has to play. The musicians are mixed, they make new
friends, learn from each other. As usual I was playing in the 4 ZS- Fourth
primary school that turns into a dormitory for the local folk groups. This
year I had a great pleasure to play with the musicians of the group Zeleziar
from Kosice together with my friend, cymbal and violin player, from our
now non existent "Valaska," Lubka Tumova. I was really happy
playing until four in the morning. Earlier in the day I had purchased for
$ 300.00 a new instrument, viola from a well-known musician Milan Hroncok
and it sounds fantastic. In the morning, when the eyelids are heavy, you
rest for couple of minutes, sleep a bit and then - we go again, because
there is the third day of festival.
THIRD DAY
On Sunday morning there is a program of
the folk groups of Slovaks living abroad. This year, unfortunately we
didn't have anyone from across the ocean, but the groups from the
neighboring countries (Romania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Ukraine, Hungary).
Even if some of them are only descendants of Slovaks, they keep the Slovak
language and traditions of their parents and grandparents. This program of
the "foreign Slovaks" is always very touching and besides smiles
you can see tears in many eyes. It's a really great feeling for all these
people to meet here - at home. I feel that this was the most Slovak
program of the past five years. Even the Slovaks from Hungary were talking
Slovak really nice. The program was smooth and floating, not like in the
past years where the main emphasis was on customs. There were lots of
dances and pretty good choreographies.
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The most popular folk groups from all over Slovakia always perform in the
final Sunday afternoon program. As usual the groups have shown the best
and most beautiful samples of their work. Among others there was group Partizan
from Slovenska Lupca, Zeleziar from Kosice and the last group performing
was our local Podpolanec from Detva.
In the area of amphitheater we could also see again this year many folk
artists-craftsmen. They showed us how to make honey pie hearts, wooden
sculptures, fujaras, whistles, etc. The folk instrument makers were
showing hundreds of bells, pipes, ornaments made of leather, wood, straw,
metal and wire. PPS Detva a heavy machinery and tractor manufacturer (also
a main sponsor of the festival) was showing the machines that are made
there. Of course, the food and souvenirs stands weren't missing.
Dear friends!
You might think that to go through so
many performances and experiences in such a short time could be boring.
It's not like that. One wants to be everywhere, hear and see everything,
breathe the atmosphere, feel the life all around. The people seem to be
better and happier, they don't mind the screaming under their windows,
crowded shops and busses. Apartments turn into hostels. Everybody is
willing to offer his or her apartment to the others who don't have a place
to stay.
Detva has many festival experiences. It will take quite a long time -
days, weeks - till the memories start to fade away. Very soon the
directors of the groups will start working on the new program, so that the
next year they could come up with something better, new and interesting.
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Finally, I'd like to give you all
greeting from the chairman of the Slovak Parliament Mr. I. Gasparovic.
When I told him that I would write about this festival to SHL, Mr. Gasparovic
asked me to give his best regards to all Slovaks living abroad, hoping
that once they will also visit their native Slovakia.
This is how we celebrated the 30th
anniversary of Detva festival and when we heard the closing notes of
fujara with bells at five in the afternoon, many of us had tears in their
eyes that the weekend went so fast. We did miss you Vladimir, you have to
come next year. The festival without uncle Linder is as without patron and
real mascot. Everyone is saying hello to you and hopes that you will be
here next year.
Dear friends, this newsletter finds
it's way not only to you, but more and more it also comes here, home-to
Slovakia and it's only thanks to the editor Mr. Linder. Many of us have
relatives and friends somewhere in the world. Write to us! Write how you
live so far away and if you still remember your homeland and our
traditions.
Yours Dana.
Dana Hodulova
A. Bernolaka 2
962 12 Detva
Slovakia
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BACK TO FOLKLORE FESTIVALS
Published in the Slovak Heritage Live
Newsletter, Volume 3, No. 3, Fall 1995
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1995
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced,
republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without
the express written permission of Vladimir
Linder. All rights reserved.
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