17th Godibodi Festival

22 Oct
19.30 Hostnik pa Krečič 
21.00 KiKi

23 Oct
19.30 Belin
21.00 Nakána 

Duration of each concert: 50 min
 

Hostnik pa Krečič: launch of the album Ljubožerci 
Tomaž Hostnik, voice, piano; Matija Krečič, violin, voice

Hostnik pa Krečič is a duo of composers, academically trained folk musicians, rural noisemakers and sensitive nightingales, Tomaž Hostnik and Matija Krečič. It was already their debut album, Mačahe, that grabbed the attention of both the music-loving public and critical intelligentsia. In these frenzied times, it hardly ever happens anymore that music would evoke any kind of reaction at its launch and generate a buzz in the media, which, as in the old days, would either subject it to a scathing critique or put it on a pedestal.
The duo’s project Dvakrat Josip, a collaboration with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, demonstrated in an exemplary manner that art is capable of creating a stir, even nowadays. In terms of music, their second album, Ljubožerci, is an even greater departure from the soundscapes one might associate with the term ‘chanson’.

Tomaž's original, relentless and poetic lyrics written in the dialect spoken in his home village, Suha, containing a large dose of dark humour and obscure folk metaphors, as well as his completely original settings, find their perfect match in the impeccably crafted arrangements and instrumental interventions by one of Slovenia’s most successful composers and arrangers of the younger generation, Matija Krečič.
The fragile, authentic voices and powerful stage presence of the Škofja Loka cowboy at the piano and the first baritone of the Trnovo choir with the scandalous melodies of the Bela krajina Roma coursing through his blood, promise an unforgettable experience, an event that is sure to occupy a special place in your memory gallery. The concert also premieres artworks by academy-trained painter Meta Hrovat, created in dialogue with the new album.

KiKi
Promotion of the album KRiKi reissued on Celinka 
Laetitia 'KiKi' Pohl, voice; Nika Trdin, Gala Pregel, back vocals; Jan Kopač, guitar; Matevž Košutnik, keyboards; Martin Jocif, drums 

Slovenian singer-songwriter KiKi debuted at the 2021 Slovenska nota competition, winning second prize with her song Punčka iz papirja which later went viral on social media.

KiKi and her band have been playing many alternative venues across Slovenia ever since, and took part in the 2022 Klubski maraton project, the City of Women and the 2022 and 2023 Floating castle festivals. KiKi has been described by Radio Študent as "the enchantress of intimate tales".
In May 2023, KiKi performed at the Druga godba festival at Cankarjev dom. In that same year, she was accepted to the RigaLIVE songwriting camp, which motivated her to seek out more international opportunities. In 2024, she performed for the first time at the MENT Ljubljana international showcase festival.
In March 2023, KiKi self-released her debut album KRiKi. Containing twelve original songs with Slovenian lyrics, the album fuses pop and folk with elements of electronic music. The release received favourable response from audiences and critics alike.

The artist has recently released her latest song, Hodi, hodi, heralding a new collaboration between KiKi and the Celinka label. The track is a seamless blend of KiKi's vocal harmonies, backing vocals and tribal rhythms of producer Jovica Novković aka Jovonanovo. 
On 22 October Godibodi Festival plays host to KiKis’ slightly extended version of KRiKi that came out this year on Celinka.

Belin
Launch of the new album Ciganka
Neža Drobnič Bogataj, voice; Klemen Bračko, violin; Miha Kraker, guitar; Vanja Dizdarević; double bass; Matej Javoršek, percussion, drums

At the Godibodi Festival, Belin are launching their latest release, Ciganka, an album that touches the most tender part of your soul while showering you with sparkles. It features profound emotional journeys, a passionate fusion of Slavic, Balkan and Roma cultures. The lyrics of most of the traditional Roma songs, arranged and translated into Slovenian by singer Neža Drobnič Bogataj, celebrate the themes of love, longing and the joy of living.

Neža Drobnič Bogataj, the heart of the group, is a classically trained musician that has been a captivating fixture in Slovenia’s music scene for many years. With her powerful voice and charismatic presence, she was a member of the popular band Katrinas, participated in various RTV Slovenia Big Band projects and has enriched the national music life through numerous projects with established musicians and bands. A perfect playground for Neža’s versatility, Ciganka features songs that echo folk motifs in combination with modern music elements. Her passion for music and her constant exploration of sound are reflected in every last inch of this music.

Nakána 
Launch of the new album Gozd not 
Ana Mezgec, voice, violin; Leon Firšt, piano; Jošt Lampret, bass; Gašper Peršl, drums and percussion; Tilen Stepišnik, guitars, banjo; Aleksander Rogina, violin; Margarita Ulokina, violin; Hana Lavrinc, viola; Zala Vidic, cello; Ištvan Tadian, trumpet

Nakána, a freshly debuted band of seasoned musicians, create vibrant soundscapes of ‘alter chanson’ featuring Ana Mezgec’s self-penned music and lyrics. 
In the company of outstanding musical partners, Ana delivers her unique take on the musical settings of poems whose everyday themes are woven from the threads of what is seen, heard, experienced or imagined, making the outfit burst at the seams with genre diversity.

Due credit for the success of this venture also goes to Leon Firšt at the piano, Jošt Lampret on bass, Tilen Stepišnik on guitars and Gašper Peršl on drums. Despite the seriousness of the addressed themes Nakána’s fine-spun confessions – rendered critically but ardently and flavoured with their sheer joy of music-making and punning – keep language, spark and humour wonderfully alive. 

Their appearance at this year's Godibodi Festival in collaboration with Celinka coincides with the promotion of their debut album, Gozd not, recorded in the studio Metro with a slightly larger line-up and the mixing/mastering engineer Janez Križaj. 

On this journey through the newly expanded frontiers of branching thoughts Ana and her Nakána are accompanied by members of a string quartet and Ištvan Tadian on the trumpet.

 
 

The 17th edition of the Godibodi Festival, which has been delighting music lovers for the past 16 years in cooperation with the Ustvarjalno polje Celinka at venues that include Stara elektrarna, the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, Hostel Celica, the Ljubljana Castle’s Hribar Hall, as well as touring the stages of its Slovenian co-producers, – takes place at Cankarjev dom, a centre of culture and artistic excellence, outstanding achievements of local and international artists. This upcoming October, at the CD Club, Godibodi is presenting four concerts featuring fresh and stylistically diverse Slovenian music. Freshness and diversity are actually the common threads running through its programme, and the organizers, belonging to the ranks of professional musicians, seek to programme great new music year after year, opening a space for the artists and their music to promote vibrancy and sincerity. 

Slovenia is a country incredibly rich in extremely good and interesting male and female musicians, but what reaches the general public through the channels often fails to reflect this richness. What’s more, the market is also extremely specific, so it’s vital for the scene to react quickly and put wind, sometimes crucially so, in the sails of Slovenian music.

Personally, I would like the festival to develop over the coming years through additional content for young audiences and families, while also building multidisciplinary partnerships with visual artists. These extremely interesting joint projects, a practice we employed already in the festival’s initial years, helped in effectively broadening the field of human creativity. Live performances are not just information, they are an experience. At a time when automated information systems and AI self-learning algorithms are generating the greatest unification of the world, it is mainly our sense of diversity, freshness, creativity that needs to be sharpened.

Music relaxes both the artist and the listener. Moreover, attentive listening is part of the creative process. Music happens when the performer and the listener hear it together. Dear listeners, dear musicians, you are cordially invited to attend the 17th Godibodi Festival. May you not only listen to, but also hear lots of good music; may the music not only play around you, but also speak to you...

Janez Dovč
Artistic Director