World music lovers descend on Rudolstadt
Fans of unique sounds were in for a treat from July 3-6 at TFF Rudolstadt in eastern Germany. With a name translating to the "Dance and Folk Festival Rudolstadt," it's Germany's biggest event for world and folk music.
From folk to classical
Few festivals can boast of a musical spectrum as broad as the Dance and Folk Festival Rudolstadt (TFF Rudolstadt). World music stars, offbeat performers, virtuosic instrumentalists, traditional folkies and even classical musicians will take to more than 20 stages at the event's 24th edition for four days, starting July 3.
Dancing encouraged
Dance has a long tradition at this festivale event. Originally, TFF Rudolstadt was founded as an East German a GDR dance festival. After reunification, it transitioned into being the folk and world musical melting pot that it is today. But traditional dances from the region are still performed here, like the one pictured above featuring the Thuringian Folklore Ensemble.
Samba de roda from Bahia
The festival also always features a dance of the year. This year, it's the samba - surely a nod to World Cup host Brazil. Pictured above is Dona Nicinha, showing the audience how to do the samba de roda. The dancing matriarch has given lessons to children in her hometown of Santo Amaro since the 1960s. In 2005, incidentally, UNESCO added the samba to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Focus on Tanzania
Along with a style of dance, each year the festival also highlights one country with its musical culture. This year, Tanzania got the honors. Lectures are on offer for those wanting to learn more about the African country before heading to a concert featuring its musicians. The band Segere Original came to the festival to show off Zaramo ngoma drums and the genre known as modern taarab.
Bass magic
And there's even an instrument of the year, which, in 2014, is the bass in all of its many facets. It's capable of much more than just the low "C." In Rudolstadt, there'll be bass guitars and bass violins, but also bass balalaikas, bass tubas and bass saxophones. In a joint concert, bassists from around the world will demonstrate what all of their instruments can do.
Street music extravaganza
Much of the action at TFF Rudolstadt happens outside of the festival's main stages. Countless street musicians entice passers-by with shows in the Eastern German town. An instrument making center, exhibitions, workshops and the conferral of the RUTH World Music Award are part of what make the festival so unique.
Klezmer from the Alps
This year's World Music Award honors an unusual blend of Yiddish and Bavarian folk music. The duo Alpen Klezmer consists of a singer from Munich with Slovenian roots and a Latvian pianist and accordion player. Together, they experiment to generate kosher mountain yodels and klezmer pathos, all with a thoroughly authentic lack of pretension.
RUTH prize for Liloba
"Liloba" is a word in the African language Lingala which means "voice." In the case of the band above, the voices stem from multiple cultures: A sound tinkerer from Leipzig meets both Congolese rhythms and francophone savoir vivre. Urban electro, beats from Africa and a dash of chanson music: It's a recipe for the RUTH prize, the highest award at TFF Rudolstadt.
Mercan Dede
The mystical sound journeys created by this visionary Turkish musician have long achieved international fame. Mercan Dedeis convinced that the hypnotic and spiritual rhythms of traditional Sufi music unleash trance-like states similar to contemporary house and techno sounds. And indeed, at his concerts, listeners fall under the spell of his unusual musical.
Kali Mutsa
The Chilean band claims to descend from gypsies that landed in South America 1,000 years ago. Kali, apparently was a daughter born to the last Incan monarch Tupac Amaru and to a gypsy. And Kali Mutsa is her descendant born in 1920, who, thanks to her shamanic powers, still looks like a young woman. Got it? The eccentric troop pairs the spirit of Bollywood with sounds from the Andes.
The Puppini Sisters
Also hailing from across the Atlantic were the Andrew Sisters, who enjoyed widespread popularity in the 1940s. In 2004, London's Puppini Sisters started following in their footsteps. The three singers bring some nostalgic swing to the stage, and in Rudolstadt, theyl even get support from a local symphonic orchestra.
Turtle Island
People associate carnival with South America or Europe, but Japan? Although this ensemble from the Japanese city of Toyota - yes, where the cars are made - says it makes carnival music, its roots lie in the country's traditional lantern festival, also called Bon Festival, which honors people's ancestors. Turtle Island mixes taiko drums with ska, rock, reggae and punk.
Russkaja
You don't need to know Russian to get Russkaja's music - you just have to know how to have a good time. The band is all about party music. There's only one true Russian in the group - after all, the band is from Vienna. It serves up a mix of metal, rock and Balkan soundsand their concert will be one of many that DW will record from the stages at TFF Rudolstadt.