Druga Godba, held for the 30th year running, is a festival of world and, to a lesser extent, contemporary jazz music. It ranks among Europe’s best festivals of slightly alternative music difficult to fit neatly into musical categories.
Druga Godba is well known for bringing to Ljubljana leading artists from different backgrounds and musical traditions who draw inspiration from different traditional folk musics and are committed to creative musical exploration. The Druga Godba line-up is sometimes even ahead of world trends.
The festival programme has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1984, always seeking new approaches and looking for less well-known music from parts of the world that are often overlooked. Druga Godba gives its audiences a unique insight into the musical traditions and cultures of a wide range of different peoples and countries, which makes it a vital part of Ljubljana’s festival scene. Every year since 2011, Druga Godba has been selected as one of the 25 best international festivals in the world by the British world music magazine Songlines.
The concept of this year’s Druga Godba builds on last year’s 29-hour non-stop festival, which guests were able to enjoy for the single price of 29 euros. This was a unique approach even in European terms and was very well received by concert-goers and professionals alike. This year’s programme also presents something very special: in addition to a host of stars from Africa (Mulatu Astatke), the two Americas (Juana Molina), Europe and the Far East (Jambinai), there will be an appearance by one of Slovenia’s most popular performers, Magnifico – the first time a domestic act has headlined the festival. There will be a series of accompanying events running alongside the concerts, from workshops for children and social get-togethers, to lectures and an international conference, which will give Slovenia’s musicians a chance to forge links with their opposite numbers from around the world.