Jaw Harp Festivals – Calendar 2019

DAN MOI Clemens Voigt & Sven Otto GbR
Jaw Harp Festivals – Calendar 2019 - Jaw Harp Festivals and Events worldwide

1-2 February Parmupillifestival, EST

10-12 May Gjovik Music Week, NO

18 May La Fete de la Guimbarde, FR

20-23 June Marranzano World Fest, I

26-28 June North American Jaw Harp Festival, USA

4-7 July Rudolstadt Festival, D

19-21 July Le Reve de l´Aborigene, FR

8-11 August Ancient Trance Festival, D

23-25 August Krutushka Festival, RU

23-25 August Slovisha Festival, RU

20-22 September Norwegian Jew´s Harp Festival, NO

28 December Global Vibes Festival, HU

February 2020 World Mouth Harp Festival, INDIA (tbc)

August 2020 International Jew´s Harp Festival and Congress, CHINA (tbc)


MAY 2019

10-12 May Gjovik Music Week, NO

18 May La Fete de la Guimbarde, FR

Every year in May, the Norwegian jaw harp scene and lovers of international folklore music are on a pilgrimage to the Music Week in Gjovik. There, one can not only learn to forge a jaw harp and to play it. There are also seminars for the flute and the Langeleik as well as for dancing and singing. The gathering takes place from 10-12 May 2019 in Gjovik.

On 18 May 2019 in France a one-day jaw harp festival, La fête de la Guimbarde is being hosted for the first time. Following the initiative of some lovers of the jaw harp and the local tourism association of Vertolaye (in Central France) a festival day with 6 artists such as Aron Szilágyi, Tikaille and Amaury le Barde performing is being organized. Also, there are workshops with diverse jaw harp smiths and workshops for jaw harp playing on the offer. Furthermore, Harm Linsen and Luc “Tchen” Yayer have signed up for public lectures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BANxmZDJk

June 2019

20-23 June Marranzano World Fest, I

26-28 June North American Jaw Harp Festival, USA

Marranzano, the Sicilian word for jaw harp, is the name giver of the local jaw harp festival. The Marranzano World Festival is regularly happening every July. The musician and music ethnologist Luca Recupero from Catania, who is known through the Band IPERcusSONICI, is the host and pro bono organizer of this happening. Luca tracks down the traces of the jaw harp in the history of Sicilia and attempts to revive the tradition around the pocket instrument. The 10th anniversary of the festival is going to be celebrated from 20 to 23 of June 2019 in Catania. Until now guests like Tran Quang Hai, Aron Szilágyi as well as other exicting Sicilian bands and musicians like Jacarànda, Matilde Politi, and Maura Guerrera registered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_t8ymqbjTE

In North America we can also find a festival, i.e. the North American Jaw Harp Festival, that is hosted on a regular basis. In 2019, it will celebrate its 24th anniversary from 26-28 June in Cottage Grove, Oregon. The festival is being organized by a group of jaw harp fans that are spread over different places in the US. The festival features concerts, an open stage and workshops.

JULY 2019

4-7 July Rudolstadt Festival, D

The white-haired folk fan of the first hour meets the 15 year old neo-hippie girl, the scholar for old music meets the neo jazz expert” writes the Weser Kurier, a German newspaper, about Germany’s biggest world music festival. The Rudolstadt Festival is also one of the most important festivals for folk and world music in Europe. Rudolstadt is blessed by thousands of festival visitors. More than 25,000 people per day come back year after year to enjoy the special flair and the choice of music. Almost 30 stages are spread over the whole town: in the park near the river Saale, at the marketplace, and in small courts of the inner city and last but not least high over the town on the castle Heidecksburg. In four days one can see on average more than 120 bands and artists from 40+ countries. One will seriously struggle to find such a musical and cultural concentration somewhere else. In 2019, the musical focus will be on Persian music as this year’s featured country is Iran. As always, the festival starts at the first Thursday in July, from 4-7 July 2019.

AUGUST 2019

8-11 August Ancient Trance Festival, D

23-25 August Krutushka Festival, RU

23-25 August Slovisha Festvial, RU

The Ancient Trance Festival (ATF) in the restless town of Taucha near Leipzig is known as an established name by world music and jaw harp fans. The ATF began 15 years ago as a small, compact concert moment for jaw harp music. Transcendental, hand-made live music, environmentally conscious partying and workshops that invite to join: the concept of the festival has been so successful that the weekend in August has found its regular spot in the festival calendar. The festival team works by the principles of Sociocracy – self-governed and in conscious harmony with the powers of nature and the festival organizers. That is why the ATF team regularly takes a well-deserved one year break as this event is organized during the free time of all members. This year marks the 10th anniversary. From 8 to 11 August more than a few jaw harp virtuosos will mingle with world music bands and solo artists in Taucha. So far, confirmed bookings are: Airtists, UUTAi and Vassvik.

As always, the Krutushka Festival is a solid booking for the jaw harp festival agenda. It regularly happens in August in Russia and in particular reflects the world music scene in Russian-speaking countries. There, one can always spot the most excellent players.

In 2019 Mouth harp experts Aksenty Beskrovny, Gjermund Kolltveit, Vladimir Markov and Anton Kamenskiy met at Slovisha Festival in the city Veliky Novgorod in Russia. They shared their knowledge of the archeology and history of Jaw harps with the audience. Aksenty Beskrovny published an illuminating interview with Gjermund Kolltveit about his Jaw harp research starting in 1994. The album recording "It's a Long, Long Way to Novgorod" documents the musical encounter of Aksenty, Gjermund Kolltveit and Anton Kamenskiy at Slovisha Festival 2019.

SEPTEMBER 2019

20-22 September Norwegian Jew´s Harp Festival, NO

In Norway, one can find one of the most vibrant jaw harp scenes in Europe. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that another highlight of the European jaw harp calender is the Norwegian jaw harp festival. This year, it is being hosted from 20 to 22 September in Rauland in the province of Telemark that is located in the South of Norway. The invitation comes from the Norwegian Jew´s Harp Forum (Norsk Munnharpeforum), which was founded in 1998. Kudos to the forum as year by year they make numerous possibilities for the continuous exchange of knowledge around the topic Munnharpe happen. The 150+ members of the forum meet annually in September at the Norwegian Jaw Harp Festival. On top of concerts and workshops the jaw harp players are gathering to exchange playing techniques, tunes, jaw harps and news from the scene. The festival took place for the first time in 1995.

FEBRUARY 2020 World Mouth Harp Festival

In Southern Asia, the most important happening for jaw harp music is the World Mouth Harp Festival in Goa, India. Since 2013 it is being organized by musician and jaw harp specialist Neptune Chapotin. The festival is regularly happening in January and the next one is announced for 2020. One experiences exciting music from different regions of India as from South Indian Bangalore, the Northern provinces of Rajasthan and Gujarat, or from Assam. Not only jaw harp virtuosos, but also musicians with diverse Indian music instruments as well as beat box artists and didgeridoo players perform on stage.

AUGUST 2020 International Jew´s Harp Festival and Congress, CHINA (tbc)

The meeting of jaw harp players and scholars is a sequel to the last congress that happened in 2014 in Taucha. Back then, more than 30 international jaw harp specialists met for presentations, concerts, discussions and workshops in Taucha at the same time as the Ancient Trance Festival. Not only the conference, but also the challenge cup “Global center of the jaw harp” will be moving from Taucha to China. That’s why the hosting town of the conference will also receive the cup. By the way, the first meeting of its kind happened in the year of 1984 in Iowa City, USA.

Single events

The Austrian Jaw Harp Association regularly hosts concerts in Northern Austria, e.g. in Molln or at the castle Schloss Feldegg.

We also would like to point you to the events of the Japanese Jaw Harp Society Nihon Koukin Kyoukai, located in Tokyo, which is basically organized by Leo Tadagawa.


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