Hartmanice - Svojanov 2003

I don’t see myself as a mental guru. I’m absolutely normal, like the others.

Two suns and two moons shine above the Svojanov castle. The two in the sky were joined by the gypsy sun Khamoro and the gypsy moon Čhon and together they were all wandering for five days and nights above the castle whose walls sounded with gypsy music. Gypsy Celebration – the gypsy (but also non-gypsy) celebration of music took place there. As promised by the organizer of the festival, Ida Kelarová. Couple of hundreds of candles, ancient torches, bonfires and balloons, musical theatre in the dark hallways of the castle and also above the towers, the nice smell of tasty gojas (the gypsy parallel to haggis), stalls with gypsy dishes and products in the settlements around the castle, two roasted piglets at the end, all of these things created the atmosphere of this extraordinary celebration – festival. And of course, the music – Gypsy music. The gypsy bands demonstrated their virtuosity and resourcefulness at the evening (or night) jazz-sessions. The Gypsies eagerly played and sang jazz and the non-Gypsies joined them – the audience used their own musical instruments or simply climbed the stage and sang together with the performers. Unintentionally, unexpectedly, spontaneously. Enchanting nights full of energy, love and without barriers.

Look, in this lies our strength.

Ida Kelarová – the excellent signer and vocal tutor of international quality, appeared this time at her home place, in the Moravian Hartmanice, as an organizer of the festival. The project, which many a director or fantast would envy, came into existence without a single crown of financial aid. However, Ida didn’t give up. She was urged by her clear goal: to organize a festival with no previous match!

Who cared that she had to be at three different places at the same time, she didn’t manage to have her make-up or hair done, that she hosted and sang in a T-shirt with a hole burnt from a cigarette… The people felt free and relaxed. All of them understood each other – the Gypsies and non-Gypsies – the Germans, Norwegians, Englishmen, Czechs, Slovaks – all of them were singing and dancing, being happy. And this was the main aim.

And when everything ran with the gravity flow of tones, rhythms, I saw her on a bench. Exhausted but composed. With a smile in her face, she watch the people around. She seemed to be drawing energy from them. She grabbed my hand and told me,

Look, in this lies our strength, in music. All of them sing in Gypsy, even the Whites, and they all understand each other…

I know exactly what the gypsy culture is and what should be done for it.

The festival at the Svojanov castle was different in every aspect – in the location, director’s inspirations, solidarity of the audience and the performers.

*

Why did you come up with the idea of making the festival in this particular way?

I teach singing of gypsy songs all over the world and every summer, I organize ten days’ workshop in my school here, in the Highlands (Vysočina), in Hartmanice. And why not to turn the “school” into a festival? Another impulse for me was my performance at the international gypsy festival “Khamoro” in Prague. I was shocked when I personally experienced how bad the organizers behaved to the artists, what conditions they created for them despite the fact that they had unbelievably big money and excellent gypsy bands were present. I couldn’t understand how it was possible to spoil one’s performance with a sound man of low quality in the Lucerna concert hall! It wasn’t only my and my band’s experience. One of the members of the world-famous gypsy band LOYKO even cried behind the scene. Because of the spoilt sound-quality of their show. I told them I was fed up with it and do something on my own because I know exactly what the gypsy culture is and what should be done for it.

What, then, should be done for the gypsy culture?

Showing what qualities it has! Every performance of gypsy artists should be of high standards. So as to prove that also the Gypsies are professionals and are able to make it. It’s worthless to invite good bands to play at stage when I cannot pay for a good sound man. For a high quality one, the one a good gypsy band deserves.

How did you manage to run the festival without any financial aid?

I decided to risk and do it in the way I need to. I managed it thanks to the students who participated in my workshop – from their fees. Actually, I paid my own personal income in the festival. But it’s worth doing it because the first year of a summer camp for gypsy and non-gypsy children was part of the festival. All of them – the Swiss, an African, the Slovaks, and also children from a children’s home stayed together at the Svojanov castle for ten days. And their joy and creativity cannot be paid. They also took part in the workshop and at the festival. The summer camp was by all means artistically oriented – the children were singing, drumming, they uncovered the rhythms and voice in them, they were dancing and during the closing performance, they had their own show.