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Kalush Orchestra and Koza Mostra to ‘Balkan Trafik’ festival in Brussels

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Balkan Trafik 2024 is just over ten weeks away, featuring performances by Kalush Orchestra and Koza Mostra among others. The festival annually brings the best Balkan music to Brussels, and this year, two former Eurovision Song Contest participants will be there. It will take place on April 25th, 26th, and 27th. Tickets are already available for purchase.

In addition to music, Balkan Trafik also features dance, exhibitions, workshops, and “food and wine” on the program. Other well-known names besides Kalush Orchestra and Koza Mostra include the Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra, Unza Unza Orchestra, Amsterdam Klezmer Band, DAAN, the Zarina Prvasevda Ensemble and Manu Chao. The latter is known for classics like Bella Ciao and Me gustas tú.

Multi-artistisc

The organizers describe their multi-artistic festival as ‘the meeting between creatives from Southeast European countries and Brussels as a multicultural European capital.” They also call it “a platform for cultural diplomacy.’ The festival’s name is deliberately chosen.

The word ‘Trafik’ in the festival’s name can provoke thoughts. Indeed, we wanted to create questions about this name, which some may find surprising since these countries are stigmatized by human trafficking, arms trafficking, etc. What a pleasure to break down prejudices, to provoke thought, even if only by mentioning the festival’s name!

Kalush Orchestra: a Ukrainian melting pot of sounds

Kalush Orchestra is known for blending traditional Ukrainian music with contemporary influences. In 2022, the group won the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin with Stefania, leading to the following year’s contest in Liverpool. The group started in 2019 as a rap group under the name Kalush, and Kalush Orchestra became a side project.

Check out Kalush Orchestra’s Eurovision performance here:

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Koza Mostra: Greek festivity and rhythms

Hailing from Greece, Koza Mostra brings their infectious blend of traditional Greek music and modern rock to the festival. This group also participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. For Greece, the group finished sixth in the final with Alcohol Is Free. That same year, Koza Mostra released their debut album, followed by a second four years later.

Check out Koza Mostra’s Eurovision performance here:

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Win tickets

You can view the full program with exact dates here. Tickets and two-day passes are available for purchase here. Or you can try to win two tickets for either Friday or Saturday. Do so by following us and Balkan Trafik on X or Instagram and sharing the message below on X or Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us and Balkan Trafik. The competition runs until Sunday, February 18 at 11.59pm.