Exciting Concerts, Interesting Shows and the Karaoke Battle Between Novi Sad’s Neighborhoods Marked the Second Festival Evening

The second evening of this year’s 15th Street Musicians Festival, will remain in fond memories, because we sang, cheered and danced on the karaoke competition, because we saw three interesting shows – a children’s one, one socially engaged and a musical-acrobatic one, because we listened to various, exciting concerts and because we discovered some new, intriguing musical names. In the end, while the clock on the Cathedral was striking two after midnight, Novi Sad’s audience applauded their new musical hero – Kralj Čačka (King of Čačak).

The Festival’s Karaoke Battle on stage in Zmaj Jovina Street lasted more than two hours. This amateur singing competition, as was expected, was followed by singing, cheering by cheerful fans. In the end the judges – composed of: Ana Perišić, Slavko Matić and Aleksandar Savanović – decided that the winner would be Žest, the representative from Detelinara. For his hood, he won an interesting, unusual park bench, work by artist Stefan Stanojević. We congratulate Detelinara from the bottom of our hearts, and we are delighted to have a chance to do something worth our while this part of town 🙂

The youngest visitors of the Festival enjoyed themselves yesterday on Liberty Square during the interactive dance show Dance, The Dance, We Dance, while those a bit older reflected after the performance of the troupe Creative Drive. Their Contemporary Circus Show: Proletarians, played out last night in Danube Street, was a chance for the songs from the International, and similar ones as are Bella Ciao and Bandiera Rossa, to echo once again through the streets of Novi Sad.

More easy-going and carefree was the show Sconcerto d’Amore performed by the Italian duo of street entertainers Nando e Maila. Fernando D’Andria and Maila Sparapani play ten various instruments, plus Maila is fearless circus acrobat as well. Their show presented jealousy, seduction games and a war of the sexes, with irresistible numbers as are Love Is In The Air, L’Italiano, Felicità, Blue Moon and Volare, entertaining the audience on Liberty Square.

Yesterday, the Italian scene of street entertainers on the Festival was also represented by the marching brass section from the ensemble BadaBimBumBand and dancer Lisa Pellegrini. The first mentioned performed several times, each time they were more entertaining and infectious than the last. The BadaBimBums didn’t spare their saxes, but, repressively, neither were the palms of Novi Sad’s citizens spared either. On the other hand, Lisa Pellegrini managed to accomplish a small festival promotion of traditional Indian dance kathak.

Of course, there was a lot of musicianing yesterday as well. Diverse and passionate. On stage in the Catholic Courtyard, in high spirits was Novi Sad’s seven Lepi Jova, smashing their Balkan Beat, Belgrade’s accordion player Miško Plavi led the audience around the world, while Rijeka’s My Buddy Moose for the umpteenth time delighted Novi Sad’s disciples of Americana and garage rock ‘n’ roll. Street entertainer from Zagreb Davor Peršić also played well, but in Danube Street, on his modified double-bass.

Last night – on stage in Zmaj Jovina Street and Liberty Square – musicians who arrived to the Street Musicians Festival by participating on the open-call were able to present themselves to the audience. Singer-songwriter from Sremska Mitrovica Vuk Muškinja, English guitar virtuoso The Flamenco Thief, Hungarian trio INTU, gypsy jazzers from Banja Luka Nylon Club, Zrenjanin’s jaw-harp and DJ mix Balkan Weirdos and the jazz, pop and rock trio from Kikinda DrvoTruo, judging by the reactions of the festival audience, they are on the right musical (performing, entertaining) track.

Belgrade’s singer-songwriter Kralj Čačka (King of Čačak), that is Nenad Marić, known as the Serbian Tom Waits also arrived to this year’s Street Musicians Festival via open-call. But, unlike the above mentioned, with a reputation as the best, or at least, the most exciting new local artist. His first real performance in Novi Sad, last night on Liberty Square, the audience watched closely and rewarded him with thunderous applause, especially the songs Deda Mraz je švorc (Santa Claus Is Broke), Moj avatar (My Avatar) and Stoj, kolega (Hold On, Partner). The King accompanied by his three musicians, by the end of his gig, was long afterwards called by the audience for an encore…

Photographs from the second night of the Street Musicians Festival you can find on our flickr profile, while the PDF version of this year’s Festival Magazine with the time table is available for download on this link.

The time table, complete Festival program, map of the stages and performance locations, all about this year’s performers, news and important tourist information – can be found on our official Festival website, and of course you can write us on our facebook page or on our twitter profile.

The Street Musicians Festival – lasting until the day’s end  – is organized by the Art Association Inbox from Novi Sad, with support from the City of Novi Sad and the Provincial Secretary for Culture and Information, Tourist Organization of the City of Novi Sad, the embassy of the United States of America in Belgrade, the Italian Institute for Culture in Belgrade, the Serbian Petroleum Industry, Telekom Serbia and Generali Insurance Serbia.