Forget Glastonbury, Reading, Burning Man and Cochella: the wildest music festival on earth is a cacophonic and crazy brass band festival that takes place every summer in the tiny Serbian town of Guca (pronounced "Gucha") in the western region of Dragacevo. What began as a small competition for the Dragacevo Assembly of Trumpet Players back in 1961 now attracts nearly half a million people every year. Given Guca's population is 3000 – it's some party. For an entire week the sound of thousands of blaring trumpets rends the air, playing everything from traditional Serbian folk and gypsy music to songs by the likes of Goran Bregovic. Grilled meat washed down with potent plum brandy keeps you and the delirious crowd going...
You can hear some of the tunes on http://www.guca.co.yu and http://www.guca2006.com (Press CTAPT). Mikkel Hornnes has some mp3 downloads and Sini Vlaisavljevic has video uploaded on YouTube (pity there are no shots from the main stage). Review by Davide Sighele. I hope Mikkel Hornnes won't mind - just had to post his photo.
Update: "Guca" movie should be released soon. This year first trumpet Veljko Ostojic is playing one of the roles along with Dejan Petrovic and world-famous Boban Markovic.
The film centers around the ambitions of two young trumpet players in their quest to win 'The Golden Trumpet'.
If you enjoyed the opening scenes of the 1992 Cannes film festival winner 'Underground', then you will love this documentary.
Guča - Serbia's most famous provincial music festival - is finally brought to life in this brilliantly executed documentary.
Website
I should add that biggest Serbian internet portal B92 declined my comment about Guca. They never posted about festival winners, only prime minister's ranting and malicious comments by Teofil Pancic - so maybe they didn't like mine critique.
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