Performances in the region are crucial for Montenegrin musicians

The bands BubnjIvi i psi and Parampaščad are among the rare Montenegrin original bands that have been given the opportunity to perform at festivals throughout the region. After Parampaščad presented themselves as part of Dubrovnik Music Week last year, this year BubnjIvi i psi was given the same opportunity. Namely, the band led by Ivan Ivanović was given the opportunity to present their original work in this Croatian tourist city.

Such performances represent an important step forward for the Montenegrin music scene, especially considering that opportunities for regional visibility for domestic artists are still rare. Each appearance outside the country's borders opens up space for wider promotion and validation of their work, but also points to the fact that Montenegrin bands still have difficulty achieving continuity of performances on larger regional stages.

"Last year we performed as Parampaščad and when we saw that Dubrovnik Music Week had announced a call for bands to apply this year, we decided to try with a different team. We received a positive response to our great joy. The impressions are great, just like last year. A team of wonderful enthusiastic people is organizing the event in an unpretentious, but very serious and professional way. As for the significance, I think that for every band from Montenegro, from such a small market, it is very important to appear anywhere in the region in the same language areas," shares the impressions from Dubrovnik Music Week, the leader of the band BubnjIvi i psi, Ivan Ivanović.

Local musicians get the opportunity to perform at festivals in Montenegro, but they are mostly given slots at the very beginning of the program when the audience is just arriving. Therefore, the question is how much these performances really contribute to the visibility and development of the scene, because one gets the impression that local bands are often put on the back burner compared to the main performers of the evening. This is why there is no progress in the music scene, and the interlocutor of "Vijesti" believes that it is necessary to change the approach in order to get a more equal opportunity in front of the audience.

"I've talked about it many times, and unfortunately, the situation hasn't changed much for the better. With all the understanding for the festival organizers, with all the problems that organizing an event entails, the organizers would have to find mechanisms to support the local scene more and better. During the promotion periods of such events, there are always mouths full of support, but on the ground it's something completely different. Mostly, those names are there just to fill "unpopular" slots, etc. Zabjelo Fest once created a good mechanism, headlined earlier, so people are left to listen to a local band. Unfortunately, the festival no longer exists, now it's in a different form and is fighting for its place under the sun. I say, I understand people, the struggle with finances is the biggest problem, so we're once again coming to the point that things need to change systematically, the system needs to support the local scene more, and not the people who make a business out of it," emphasizes Ivanović.

Dubrovnik Music Week focuses on new artists and gives them a chance. It is at concerts that the best audience is gained, and it would be good if other festivals took this into account, and not just financial gain.

"Dubrovnik Music Week has created an excellent festival structure. They don't do megalomaniac things, which is very important in this business. They are just giving space to younger, less established bands to show that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with any already established band. The focus of the festival is networking, socializing, exchanging contacts, and visibility of the scene, not money. That is the main advantage of this festival," explains Ivanović.

For the bands BubnjIvi i psi and Parampaščad, in which Ivanović plays, the "doors" are open to other, regional festivals much more than to domestic ones, but that does not discourage them.

"The Montenegrin scene is small and I keep pointing that out. Even the few bands we have are struggling with work, ceasing to exist, etc. The organizers are in a bit of a problem on that front, but again, it could be overcome if there was greater demand. Before the coronavirus, we played a lot at all domestic festivals, and it was time for other names to be called in the following years, so we slowed down a bit with that, which is natural. What happened was precisely the coronavirus that mixed up the distribution of tickets a bit in a way that suits no one. We'll see what happens in the future, but the future and survival of Montenegrin music certainly depends, unfortunately, on how much they manage to play in the region," says Ivanović.

In recent days, some summer festivals have received significant budget funds, although the public still does not know the exact dates of the events or the names of the performers who are scheduled to perform. Such a practice opens up a dilemma about the planning and transparency of investments in cultural events, but also about the priorities when it comes to the distribution of public money. Some of these funds could have been directed to more specific and long-term programs to support local musicians and the development of the local scene.

"Honestly, it's a very difficult topic. I understand the state's position to invest in tourism and the promotion of the state itself, but I don't understand how there's never any money when young people in this country come up with projects. Or even worse, there is, but the amounts are so meager that no one can do anything concrete with it, and the system has 'washed its hands' because on paper it says they supported you. In a way, I'm happy that things are happening, but at the same time angry because there are so many figures at stake that could be used to build a hospital or a school, not to mention that the entire Montenegrin cultural scene could work miracles for a year with that money. So I appeal again from this position, give priority to your people," Ivanovic is honest.

There are more and more music festivals every year, and festival tourism is increasingly being discussed as an important segment of the cultural and tourist offer. However, even the performances of big world names like Madonna or the Rolling Stones almost two decades ago have not significantly succeeded in attracting foreign audiences to visit Montenegro. The number of visitors to festivals is often exaggerated, and when asked whether Montenegro is building a sustainable festival story or just filling the calendar with events, the interviewee of “Vijesti” answers:

"This is also a difficult question and requires serious analysis. Montenegro has a position in which it can build festival tourism, but I think it is being done in the wrong way. It is not being done thoughtfully, systematically. I think people here are still not aware that a good festival and a good offer is not just announcing a famous name. That is simply not enough! There must be complete secondary logistics behind it that works for that name. Albania is a great example that we have seen in recent days. People are building a stadium just for an event that they announced in two months, and we have been building our national stadium for nine years. Everyone simply has to work harder and better to get results. I think Montenegro is still not aware of that," concludes Ivanović.