Balkanik Festival: Bucharest event announces lineup of this year's edition
<p><em>Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music</em>, set to take place at Uranus Garden between September 5 and September 7, lines up this year artists who "celebrate that form of joy that does not ignore reality, but faces it with beauty, energy, and solidarity," the organizers said.</p>

<p>The artists performing in September in Bucharest will be <em>Omar Souleyman</em> (Syria), whose music is a hybrid between traditional dabke and electronic beats; <em>Lupii lui Calancea</em> (Moldova), performing a blend of Moldavian folklore, rock, and funk; <em>Mahala Rai Banda &amp; Jony Iliev</em> (Romania – Bulgaria); <em>Ivo Papasov &amp; His Wedding Band</em> (Bulgaria), set for a performance breaking the boundaries between folklore and avant-garde; <em>Kottarashky &amp; The Rain Dogs</em> (Bulgaria), expected to deliver the atmosphere of a Balkan noir; <em>MiASiN</em> (Armenia–France), a collective project from the Armenian diaspora blending jazz, rock and traditional instruments to explore identity themes; <em>Kanizsa Csillagai</em> (Hungary), bringing to the stage the force of Roma tradition; <em>BaLKAN Taksim</em> (Romania), the duo known for the Balkan-infused trip-hop; and <em>Karpov Not Kasparov </em>(Romania), two pioneers of East-European synth-pop exploring a retro-futuristic sound inspired by the 1980s.</p>

<p>In addition to live concerts, the festival program includes this year a craft fair, craft demonstrations, debates, jam sessions, video mapping on the water tower, workshops for children and adults, world food, and more.</p>

<p>This year's debates will explore the theme of "Joy as a form of cultural and community resistance." They will present guests from fields as varied as the arts, philosophy, anthropology, and activism and tackle the question, "What does joy mean in a world where everything seems to be fracturing?"</p>

<p>Five hundred early-bird passes are currently on sale. Children younger than 9 enjoy free entry, accompanied by adults.</p>

<p><em>(Photo: the organizers)</em></p>

<p><em>simona@romania-insider.com</em></p>