Taksirat Festival 2011, Skopje, Macedonia
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The Balkans somewhat are more often associated with NATO saving interventions, mines, tanks, wilderness and other similar attractions than with good music. Yet, Amy Winehouse in Belgrade, Death in June in Zagreb and recently Taksirat Festival 13 in Skopje.
Taksirat is probably the most important (and for sure the most popular) periodic event in Macedonia, attracting the audience from the whole region (Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria) but not only from there. The first edition took place in 1998 and was a result of the work of a dozen or so young enthusiasts from Skopje who believed in an old, musical, punk rule "do it yourself". At the beginning, the festival, which was oriented towards alternative rock, pop, electronic music and reggae, attracted not very impressive audience (about 300-400 people), promoting more or less alternative but still popular bands from former Yugoslavia. However, already the third edition (2001) was appealing enough for Swiss legend of industrial, Young Gods, a year later The Stranglers visited Skopje and in 2006 Iggy Pop with newly reactivated The Stooges appeared on the Taksirat stage. Currently the festival can take pride in really imposing (taking into consideration its still not very high rank in comparison to European standards) guests list – during last four editions among the others there were: Manu Chao La Ventura, Gentleman and the Evolution, White Lies, ONYX, Guano Apes, Juliette Lewis, Nouvelle Vague, Marky Ramone, The Roots, Dellinquent Habbits, Transglobal Underground, Fun Lovin Criminals, Buzzcocks, The Wailers, Laibach, Alex Paterson (The Orb), Phil Hartnoll (Orbital) & Dj Tiga, Neville Staples (The Specials). Starting as a not very important event Taksirat became fully professional one attracting world’s famous stars and the audience outnumbering ten thousand fans.
The festival usually lasts about a week, on the turn of November and December. Apart from main, musical part, festival’s programme includes a lot of artistic events such as performance art, movies projections, drama plays, exhibitions aiming at introducing young, unknown artists to the audience. Concerts promotion is usually connected with propagation of social campaigns (this year it was World AIDS Day).
This year, the 13th edition began on 25th November, serving as a warm-up a concert of Bosnian dub reggae band, Dubioza Kolektiv, the winner of this year’s MTV Music Awards in Best Adria Act cathegory. Simply alternative, maybe not that much sublime, but positive energy and a show surely worth enough to be seen. And when it comes to good atmosphere, it doesn’t matter whether it is sublime or not.
The following three days went on marked by the concerts of, more or less known in this region (I mean The Balkans), bands, which doesn’t mean that they were less worth. For example, Serbian rock band Nežni Dalibor surely deserves attention, though it depends what kind of rock you like. The performance of hip-hop band PSYCHO REALM featuring B REAL from Cypress Hill constituted remarkably greater attraction during these three days. And even if someone, just like me, has an allergy with somatic symptoms to this kind of music, they have to admit that the guys can make a good gig.
For the fans of alternative music the evening of 29th November was really good time, the leaders of anarchistic digital hardcore, Atari Teenage Riot appeared on the stage. Tracks from their latest album (the first one after reactivation a year ago) "Is this hyperreal?" full of ideological activism marked by the sign of black flag made the audience sway from wall to wall. It’s a great shame that, as usual, art and technique are not combined and during the concert foldbacks stopped working. The performance was finished earlier, but the view of furious Alec Empire throwing a microphone – invaluable.
During the following two evenings again we could participate in "local" stars’ performances, none of which has been imprinted in my memory. However, the main evening of the festival – 3rd December – that’s something different. At the beginning two Macedonian bands which are worth attention if you are curious (also if you’re not): Verka – experimental metal and T.B. Traceri – rock (unfortunately lyrics constitute most of their magic so language barrier is a considerable handicap in appreciating them). After the performance of Swedish Clawfinger the prelude was over, and the proper main event began – Asian Dub Foundation appeared on the stage, legendary already because of their numerous projects and socio-political issues in their music. Just a few songs from their latest album "A History Of Now" (2011) were enough to start real Macedonian šutka. Enthusiasm was a little bit calmed down when Fat Joe’s concert started (however, this impression may be caused by already mentioned allergy to this kind of music), but fortunately, only for about an hour – immediately after that the audience was again made swayed by Kaiser Chiefs. To be honest I don’t really like this kind of rock so I’m not going to describe their songs. Nevertheless, I have to admit that they know how to make a show. The last concert of the evening – Portuguese Buraka Som Sistema with their electronic kuduru was a real icing on the cake (they were awarded in Best Portuguese Act category o MTV Music Awards 2008 and nominated in Best European Act category, they performed in Glastonbury and Roskilde). African rhythms combined with spontaneous electronic beat, successful visualisations and acrobatics as well as BSS team’s temperament whipped the audience into a frenzy.
Observing the development of the festival I’m not quite sure what to expect next year. The idea of Taksirat is now somewhere between alternative and commercial, what is it heading for? – it’s hard to say. For sure the whole project may be considered as the effect of really good, alternative, rock traditions of former Yugoslavia, it’s enough to mention Bjelo Dugme or Haustor to know what is it about. Surely, during next, 14th edition, everybody will find something for themselves, so.... see you in Skopje next year?
Other articles:
Taksirat is probably the most important (and for sure the most popular) periodic event in Macedonia, attracting the audience from the whole region (Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria) but not only from there. The first edition took place in 1998 and was a result of the work of a dozen or so young enthusiasts from Skopje who believed in an old, musical, punk rule "do it yourself". At the beginning, the festival, which was oriented towards alternative rock, pop, electronic music and reggae, attracted not very impressive audience (about 300-400 people), promoting more or less alternative but still popular bands from former Yugoslavia. However, already the third edition (2001) was appealing enough for Swiss legend of industrial, Young Gods, a year later The Stranglers visited Skopje and in 2006 Iggy Pop with newly reactivated The Stooges appeared on the Taksirat stage. Currently the festival can take pride in really imposing (taking into consideration its still not very high rank in comparison to European standards) guests list – during last four editions among the others there were: Manu Chao La Ventura, Gentleman and the Evolution, White Lies, ONYX, Guano Apes, Juliette Lewis, Nouvelle Vague, Marky Ramone, The Roots, Dellinquent Habbits, Transglobal Underground, Fun Lovin Criminals, Buzzcocks, The Wailers, Laibach, Alex Paterson (The Orb), Phil Hartnoll (Orbital) & Dj Tiga, Neville Staples (The Specials). Starting as a not very important event Taksirat became fully professional one attracting world’s famous stars and the audience outnumbering ten thousand fans.
The festival usually lasts about a week, on the turn of November and December. Apart from main, musical part, festival’s programme includes a lot of artistic events such as performance art, movies projections, drama plays, exhibitions aiming at introducing young, unknown artists to the audience. Concerts promotion is usually connected with propagation of social campaigns (this year it was World AIDS Day).
This year, the 13th edition began on 25th November, serving as a warm-up a concert of Bosnian dub reggae band, Dubioza Kolektiv, the winner of this year’s MTV Music Awards in Best Adria Act cathegory. Simply alternative, maybe not that much sublime, but positive energy and a show surely worth enough to be seen. And when it comes to good atmosphere, it doesn’t matter whether it is sublime or not.
The following three days went on marked by the concerts of, more or less known in this region (I mean The Balkans), bands, which doesn’t mean that they were less worth. For example, Serbian rock band Nežni Dalibor surely deserves attention, though it depends what kind of rock you like. The performance of hip-hop band PSYCHO REALM featuring B REAL from Cypress Hill constituted remarkably greater attraction during these three days. And even if someone, just like me, has an allergy with somatic symptoms to this kind of music, they have to admit that the guys can make a good gig.
For the fans of alternative music the evening of 29th November was really good time, the leaders of anarchistic digital hardcore, Atari Teenage Riot appeared on the stage. Tracks from their latest album (the first one after reactivation a year ago) "Is this hyperreal?" full of ideological activism marked by the sign of black flag made the audience sway from wall to wall. It’s a great shame that, as usual, art and technique are not combined and during the concert foldbacks stopped working. The performance was finished earlier, but the view of furious Alec Empire throwing a microphone – invaluable.
During the following two evenings again we could participate in "local" stars’ performances, none of which has been imprinted in my memory. However, the main evening of the festival – 3rd December – that’s something different. At the beginning two Macedonian bands which are worth attention if you are curious (also if you’re not): Verka – experimental metal and T.B. Traceri – rock (unfortunately lyrics constitute most of their magic so language barrier is a considerable handicap in appreciating them). After the performance of Swedish Clawfinger the prelude was over, and the proper main event began – Asian Dub Foundation appeared on the stage, legendary already because of their numerous projects and socio-political issues in their music. Just a few songs from their latest album "A History Of Now" (2011) were enough to start real Macedonian šutka. Enthusiasm was a little bit calmed down when Fat Joe’s concert started (however, this impression may be caused by already mentioned allergy to this kind of music), but fortunately, only for about an hour – immediately after that the audience was again made swayed by Kaiser Chiefs. To be honest I don’t really like this kind of rock so I’m not going to describe their songs. Nevertheless, I have to admit that they know how to make a show. The last concert of the evening – Portuguese Buraka Som Sistema with their electronic kuduru was a real icing on the cake (they were awarded in Best Portuguese Act category o MTV Music Awards 2008 and nominated in Best European Act category, they performed in Glastonbury and Roskilde). African rhythms combined with spontaneous electronic beat, successful visualisations and acrobatics as well as BSS team’s temperament whipped the audience into a frenzy.
Observing the development of the festival I’m not quite sure what to expect next year. The idea of Taksirat is now somewhere between alternative and commercial, what is it heading for? – it’s hard to say. For sure the whole project may be considered as the effect of really good, alternative, rock traditions of former Yugoslavia, it’s enough to mention Bjelo Dugme or Haustor to know what is it about. Surely, during next, 14th edition, everybody will find something for themselves, so.... see you in Skopje next year?
Other articles:
- Atari Teenage Riot + Rowdy Superstar + Junkie Punks - 2011-12-21 (Live reports)
- Atari Teenage Riot - 2010-10-14 (Live reports)
