For the first time, as part of the World Music Fusion series, the international World Music Festival Bratislava will also expand to Trenčín. For its 10th anniversary, the Bratislava organizers have once again prepared a high-quality program. Top performers – the festival’s main stars such as the legendary Finnish group Värttinä, Spanish flamenco dancer María Moreno, and the Syrian Sufi ensemble Jawa – will come to Trenčín. Audiences there will be able to enjoy these performances at the events “The Best of World Music Festival Bratislava.”
On Thursday, September 18, the KKC Hviezda will host the concept World Music as Emotion in Dance featuring the outstanding María Moreno, a leading figure of the new wave of Spanish flamenco, together with her group. María Moreno from Cádiz is considered one of the best flamenco dancers in the world. She will present her successful project “Yo Bailo” (“I Dance”), accompanied by a singer and guitarist. María Moreno’s dance is the result of pure evolution: her movements reflect artistic freedom. She is unique in how she values flamenco tradition while enriching it with contemporary dance language. Regarding Yo Bailo (2020), she wrote: “When I dance, I am guided by feeling, not thought… It is the only moment in life when I am not pretending to be anything and am truly myself.”
She has performed to great acclaim not only in Spain but also at prestigious venues such as Sadler’s Wells in London, La Villette in Paris, and New York City Center. In 2017, she received the Discovery of the Year Award at the Jerez Festival for her performance “Alas del Recuerdo.” In 2018, she confirmed her place among the most outstanding names in flamenco with a production that earned her the Giraldillo Award for Discovery of the Year at the Flamenco Biennale in Seville.
The following day, September 19, will be devoted to the theme World Music as a Spiritual Journey. At the Trenčín Castle Amphitheater, audiences will hear mystical Sufi music performed by Syrian musicians of the group Jawa. The ensemble seeks to preserve and reinterpret the musical heritage of Aleppo, an ancient spiritual tradition whose existence is currently endangered by the war in Syria. For centuries, Sufi musical traditions were passed down orally from generation to generation. Today, this art of the Sufi masters is in decline, making its preservation crucial. The members of Jawa, now living in Belgium, share their ancestral traditions across Europe at many concerts. In 2023, they released a successful album “Last Breaths from Aleppo,” selections from which will be performed in an arrangement for quartet: Khaled Alhafez – vocals, percussion; Youssef Nassif – qanun; Tammam Alramadan – ney; Marwan Fakir – violin. Their performance will also feature a true Sufi master, who, through whirling movements imitating planets orbiting the Sun, opens a window into the dervish ritual and celebrates the divine unity of creation. Their concert is not only a musical performance but also an act of cultural resistance and preservation of a fragile tradition carried beyond borders and across generations.
For many, the highlight will be the concert by the world-renowned Finnish group Värttinä on Trenčín’s Peace Square. Active for several decades, they are among the pioneers of the world music scene in Northern Europe. This year, after a ten-year break, they released the successful album “Kyly” (which topped the World Music Charts Europe in July), inspired by Karelian music. The sextet consists of three outstanding singers, including founding member Mari Kaasinen, and three exceptional musicians. Värttinä are a true gem of the Finnish music scene. Their roots lie in the women’s vocal traditions of Karelia, Finland. Their hallmark is the powerful harmony sung by the group’s charismatic vocalists. Since their international breakthrough in 1991, Värttinä has toured the world, earning a reputation as one of the most inventive ensembles on the world music scene.
The Best of World Music Festival Bratislava, just like the festival itself, is a celebration of cultural diversity. It is a unique holiday for lovers of quality music, dance, and the exploration of music’s deeper meaning and its connection to the present. From its rich program rooted in centuries-old musical traditions, everyone will find something to enjoy.
We thank our main partners Bratislava City Foundation, Trenčín – European Capital of Culture 2026, as well as partners City of Trenčín, Embassy of Spain in Bratislava, KKC Hviezda, and others for supporting the World Music Festival Bratislava and the concerts in Trenčín.
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