This year, more than 41,000 people visited the International Folklore Festival in Strážnice, a record-breaking number. Indeed, a surprising number. Such a vast number of people gathering in one place at a time when the demise of folklore and folklorism had been predicted many times over. What made them do it? This year’s 80th anniversary year certainly helped, but the anniversary alone would not have been enough. What is the charm? Every visitor takes away a different experience, a different memory, a different story. And I will offer you mine now. So, what was my Strážnice 2025 experience like? And did I find the answer to the question of what lies behind its immense appeal?
As it happens, everyone has their own recipe for the best something - soup, cake, or in this instance, Strážnice. But I think there are two key ‘ingredients’ to all of them. The first is fixed, adhering to a proven recipe: the annual meeting of friends at a beer stand, dancing with an old partner at Pod Šancama on Saturday night, or perhaps tasting wines from a favourite winemaker on Sunday before leaving. But we never know the second ingredient of the Strážnice recipe beforehand. It includes surprising encounters, new experiences during the programs, or unexpected emotions which are the spice of every deeper experience.
It was the same this year. I arrived in Strážnice on Friday afternoon. Usually, I am overcome with feelings of gratitude and curiosity even on the train ride. By now, I know my favourite route from Brno to Veselí nad Moravou in either direction almost by heart, yet I prefer it to driving. The slow pace of the passenger train usually lulls me to sleep and sets my heart to the right rhythm for a sojourn in the southern regions of Moravia. This time, I was greeted by music even at the station in Veselí - young musicians from the Brno Slovácký krúžek filled the 2nd platform with music and dance.
It is only one more stop to Strážnice via the little painted station in Vnorov. The usual formalities, such as ticket collection and accommodation, were a little different this time. I didn’t stay at the camp site as usual, but instead at my friends’ house near the park in Strážnice. I pitched my tent in their garden against the mysterious backdrop of local brownfields of the old Jewish quarter, followed by a welcome shot of schnapps - down one leg and then the other, and it’s off to the opening.
Mass parades of people in traditional costumes don’t usually appeal to me. I must admit, however, that the opening of the festival performed by the Strážnice musicians and their noble danaj dance always brings a heartfelt tear to my eye.
I managed to see two more feature programs on Friday night. I was very much looking forward to the first one, by Martina Pavlicová, Daniel Drápala and Zdeněk Vejvoda, because of its theme and subtitle Images from the history of staging Czech and Moravian folklore from the 19th century to 1945. However, I have to admit that I was not as impressed with the treatment of this interesting topic as I had hoped. The production and educational level of the program was great, but I found the inventiveness of the overall concept to be lacking.
I enjoyed (for the second time) the program of VUS Ondráš, A Tribute to Jaroslav Jurášek, all the more. Although we were literally packed into the Garden Amphitheatre with other visitors, it did not detract from the impressive production - on the contrary, it only helped to enhance the atmosphere. Compared to the Brno performance in broad daylight, the Strážnice version was supplemented by video projection that added context, especially to the character of Jaroslav Jurášek, who was portrayed by an actor. I especially appreciate the conceptual design of the opening speech, which offers clear proof that hosts in suits with black clipboards are something of a relic in this respect - they usually add no value to the program apart from the words themselves.
This program ended well after midnight, gradually transforming into a legendary, never-ending night with folk musicians unhindered by time. I usually skip the Friday night concert in expectation of the busy weekend ahead. After all, wailing cats were already awaiting me on the doorstep of my newly erected tent,
and I couldn’t wait for the morning to arrive. After being treated to a hearty meal by my hosts, I walked the short distance to the synagogue in the Jewish quarter for a concert. I knew what was in store for me here as well. I had seen MusEquality at the Cymbal Festival in Valašské Meziříčí in May and I was absolutely mesmerised. A fusion of classical music ranging from Baroque through Classicism to Modernism, all set against the backdrop of folk song. After all, it must have had some influence on composers of the past; they must have encountered it and some were so impressed by it that they incorporated more or less of it into their works. That’s what the concerts of this year’s musical revelation are all about for me. Clarity - not only of style, but also of region - in a friendly spirit and with a bit of humour, but also humility. I firmly believe that the boys will pursue this commitment and not lose their inventiveness.
The lectures by Michal Škopík held at the château auditorium are another traditional part of my Strážnice story. A few folk nerds get together and listen to what are often ancient, low-quality, barely intelligible musical recordings. At least that’s what it might seem like to the onlooker. I absolutely love it. This year’s theme was devoted to recordings made at the festival in Strážnice from the archives of the NÚLK. We went all the way back to its very first years and heard Vladimír Úlehla and the legendary Myjava mayor Samek Dudík, among many others, speak from the recordings. The lecture was also attended by his great-granddaughter and ethno-musicologist Alžbeta Lukáčová, who complemented the author of the program with interesting facts about the individual recordings.
As per tradition, the individual segments are interspersed by doughnuts with poppy seeds and plum jam, strolls through the open-air museum, chats with random acquaintances, and deliberate visits to the usual locations. It was the same this year.
In the evening, the packed Bludník stadium awaited the main program of the night dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the festival. The authors Magdalena Múčková and Petr Ryšavý wagered on certainty and did not venture into exaggerated concepts. In this case, however, the trio of hosts seemed livelier, the space beyond the stage was used and the video projection was interesting, if somewhat disparate. I think television audiences, who were also able to watch the show, enjoyed it. I was also pleased with the selection of performers.
The tireless spectators, among whom I count myself, stayed at Bludník for the night program dedicated to folk clothing, prepared by Petra Hrbáčová, Markéta Vašulková and Břetislav Rychlík. I appreciated several interesting moments - from the choice of guests to the entrance onto the stage through a wardrobe, which amused me given the theme. I would fault the choice of host - he did well in terms of acting the part, but I would have chosen someone with at least a general grasp of the specific topic.
For me, Saturday night with the musicians was largely similar to that of previous years. After being disappointed that the musicians don’t play their own regional or otherwise interesting songs, instead hearing the fifth band in a row sing Ej zalužicky poľo, there is always someone who dissolves my scepticism in pleasant tones. I sang and danced to my heart’s content with the musicians from Metošé and HCM by Marek Potěšil.
The biggest surprise awaited me, however, awaited me on Sunday. The noontime heat at the open-air museum was dedicated to a show called Our People Beyond the Sea. It was an independent program by the Omladina ensemble from Chicago, USA. Between their dance numbers, which were accompanied by recordings, HCM by Marek Potěšil from Lipov played their so-called American songs. The authors of the program were Magdalena Maňáková and Eva Kuminková - and I would hereby like to thank them very much.
I think they gave the dancers from Omladina a phenomenal experience to remember for the rest of their lives. The youngsters create their own choreographies to a kind of coherent set of steps they use - they are not regionally distinct, nor do they have their own music. Locals might not like it, but this is a separate branch in the evolution of folklorism, which deserves great admiration.
The dancers were born in the USA and only visit the Czech Republic occasionally, but they all speak at least some Czech, are proud of their roots and promote them tirelessly. They were extremely excited to go to Strážnice - they had raised money for it in a fund-raising campaign - but they were also full of concern about how they would be received. Here again I must express my great hope that humanity is not yet entirely lost. The support at the Strážnice open-air museum, in the forty-degree heat, was overwhelming.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks and during the final dance with the audience I couldn’t hold even my phone to capture the atmosphere, my hand was shaking so much.
With a smile on my lips and this profound experience in my heart, I spent the last moments of the festival in the shadow of the stage during the closing gala performance. Here, too, I was impressed by the foreign participants, whom I have not mentioned yet. Like at the festival in Myjava last week, here in Strážnice it mainly consisted of dancers, singers and musicians from Easter Island. Their costumes - so different from our own, but with an energy so similar to ours - captivated the audience even at the very end of the festival.
Finally, tired of the sun, I rested in the shade of the plane and lime trees near HM Petr Mička. Fatigue, joy, a bit of euphoria - see you again next year.
So how would I answer the question I asked in the introduction? What was the reason for such high attendance at the folklore festival in Strážnice? Without more data, I wouldn’t hazard a guess as to why so many new visitors came. But I will put forward my theory as to why the old ones are returning. To answer, I’ll borrow some words and try to paraphrase the director of the NÚLK, Martin Šimša, who during the festival’s closing ceremony mentioned the idea of cohesion - the realisation that despite the huge number of people, alcohol and extreme temperatures, nothing bad happened. I simply have to agree with him. No displays of aggression - even fraught and opposing political views were left, quite consciously I believe, outside the gates of Strážnice Park. At the same time, it’s not a matter of whitewashing or closing one’s eyes, but rather the power of the moment that draws you in to experience it together. And it’s not even a matter of feigned respect. If you obstruct someone’s view of the stage where their favourite ensemble is dancing, they will calmly tell you where to go. You enjoyed the evening program, but a friend is grumbling about it - a common situation.
But in all cases, the reason for unruliness, joy, emotion and anger is the experience itself - what we are experiencing here and now. A sort of Strážnice mindfulness in practice. I think it’s a necessity in the uncertain world we live in. As some certainties disappear, it is all the more important to have Strážnice...
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