Under the slogan Trading good vibes, the Porto Etno Festival brought musicians from Greece, Palestine, Bulgaria and Sicily to Rijeka, while 15 minority groups presented themselves through their gastronomic specialties and folklore performances.
A diverse audience on their feet for the musical part of the program
The opening parade opened the festival with a bang on Friday before sunset.Folklore and brass band paraded from Jadranski trg to Adamićev gat. The Spinčići Music Society and cultural and artistic societies then performed at the GAT – inviting the audience to a place of meeting, multicultural exchange and good vibes. The festival turned into a two-day celebration of diversity and togetherness.
The experienced musical group Unavantaluna opened the festival on Friday, September 19, with an energetic performance that encouraged the audience to dance, and the good Sicilian island vibes served as a perfect introduction to the first night of the festival.
After Čipkice quire sang several traditional songs from Croatia and the region a capella, they were joined by the Porto Etno Orchestra led by Zoran Majstorović, who enthusiastically followed them, as did the audience, who rewarded them with a big round of applause after each performance. Majstorović emphasized that next year, at the tenth anniversary edition of the festival, the audience can expect a special surprise.
The sixteen well-coordinated members of the Čipkice vocal ensemble were confidently and smoothly led by ethnomusicologist Ena Hadžiomerović, and the grand finale of their performance was the performance of the Serbian traditional song Vrbice Vrbo Zelena in an ethno arrangement accompanied by an orchestra.
After Čipkice’s emotional performance, the Porto Etno Orchestra was joined on stage by Ether. The stage name of musician Nikol Ćaćić perhaps best describes her energy: it is ethereal, and her strong and authentic vocals are infectious and seem to be out of this world. The audience followed several well-known songs from the album Bitke na makovim poljima with song and dance, and also enjoyed the performances of new songs that Ether prepared in an ethno arrangement, thus surprising everyone present. A special moment was the performance of a song by Marina Satti, a Greek artist who performed at the Eurovision Song Contest last year, and then at the Porto Etno Festival. That detail particularly touched a part of the audience that attended the festival last year. After performing with the orchestra, Nikol was joined by two backing vocalists and a DJ. The uniform choreography made the performance dynamic, and the well-coordinated vocals heartfelt and unforgettable.
After the concerts on Adamićev gat, part of the audience headed to the humanitarian After Party at the Manual Club. The intimate space of the club was filled with festival-goers who danced until morning to DJ Asimin Asanov’s set and a special set list that sounded like it was created for the craziest Arab wedding. All funds raised from the tickets were donated to the Medical Aid for Palestinians organization.
Second festival day: Melting Pot, Melina, Oratnitza, 47SOUL
The next morning, GAT was already packed with people, colorful folk costumes, volunteers, friends of the festival, and national minorities who prepared their fragrant specialties. Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are just some of the countries whose representatives delighted the palates of all those present with their creative recipes.
A total of 583 food vouchers were sold at the Melting Pot gastro festival, and 19 volunteers participated in the organization, working a total of 167.5 hours.
The evening part of the program was opened by Melina and her band. The young musician arrived from Greece to present her expression, which combines pop with traditional elements. In addition to singing like a nightingale, Melina Vlachos also plays the oud (known as an Arabic lute), and her dance moves leave a lasting impression on the audience from the first moment she meets them.
After Melina, the Bulgarian band Oratnitza performed. They got the audience on their feet and dancing, and the atmosphere was further enhanced by the birthday celebration of the band’s lead female vocalist, to whom the audience sang a birthday song together. They presented songs from their new album STOPAN, but also some older, well-known songs. The performance was accompanied by constant communication with the audience, stories about the band and even recommendations for tourist destinations to visit during their stay in Bulgaria. It was their second performance in Croatia, and before going on stage, they even managed to swim on one of the beaches in Rijeka, which was felt in the cheerful mood of all the band members.
The second day of the festival was concluded by the collective 47SOUL from Jordan and Palestine, based in London. They have millions of views on streaming services, and are known for their themes of justice and resistance. Their performance was full of emotions, and the younger audience in the front rows followed the fast rhythms of their Shamstep sound until the early hours of the morning.
There was no shortage of dancing, nor of solidarity, togetherness, and getting to know each other through music, food, and culture.
