The seventeenth White Field Jazz Festival ended last night in Bijelo Polje with the performance of the Vlatko Stefanovski Trio.
The legendary guitarist said that he was glad to be at the festival for the second time.
"Now I'm coming with a young team consisting of Ivan Kukić on bass and my son Jan Stefanovski on drums. A hardworking young team that, with my experience, will surely do a miracle, because tonight we're celebrating our hundredth concert," said Vlatko Stefanovski.
He said that he relies on Macedonian traditional music, but that, by collaborating with musicians from all over the Balkans, he broadened his horizons.
"I didn't start as a researcher of ethnic music, I started as a fan of rock and roll and that's how I'll end. Now I'm trying to combine those two directions, and how successful I am in that - others will say. In jazz, the main principle is freedom, improvisation, and I just look for and take what I like. We improvise to a large extent at our concerts and it's a matter of the moment, and if you're in a good mood then miracles happen," said Stefanovski.
The audience from Bjelopolje had the opportunity to listen to the MP Trio band from Podgorica. The leader of the band Miladin Mićko Peruničić said that they use the language of improvisation.
"Our primary goal is not jazz, but the search for some musical excitement, which happens at festivals like this one, with socializing and a special atmosphere. It's a good opportunity to meet with colleagues from the region, to exchange experiences, energy, and I'm especially happy that this it's not a classic jazz festival. In these two nights, we heard various styles, a good concert, especially ethnic motifs, which I really liked," said Peruničić.
The director of "Ratković's Evening of Poetry", Kemal Music, said that one of the goals of the festival is multicultural dialogue.
"The essence is socializing, getting to know each other and exchanging experiences. We had the opportunity this year to host participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, who brought their own, but also brought something from our culture, because I believe that culture is the precursor to everything in life, and even the economic one," said Music.
The event last night was not held in the courtyard of the House of Risto Ratković, as planned, but in the Cultural Center.
White Field Jazz Festival was organized by JU "Ratković's evening of poetry" under the auspices of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje.
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