If you’ve not heard of Pohoda you’ve probably not been in Slovakia for long. In case you haven’t it’s the most famous festival in Slovakia, attracting around 20,000 people each year (you can read our review of last year’s festival at http://www.bratvegas.sk/articles/view/17/pohoda_festival.html). It was founded by Michal Kaščák in 1997 and has been run by him ever since. The Pohoda people had organised a night of live music, film and photography at Klub Za Krkadlom to preview the festival . We asked Kaščák why this event was important, he replied that “there’s not so many concerts of this size in Bratislava. As well as Pohoda we organise 5 or 6 concerts a year, the last one we did was Prodigy. Pohoda is a meeting of different arts, many people, many generations and this evening is the same.”
The attention to detail at the event was a good indicator as to why the festival is so successful. The venue was adorned with photography from previous Pohodas and a roped red carpet lead to the cinema screening room as the 20 member Art Music Orchestra from Červenik (a village near Trnava) played. Following their performance, the Pohoda 2008 film was screened. It followed the usual format for festival review - a mix of live footage and 1st person perspective of the crowd getting enthused by the music and generally doing wacky things (especially after too much booze or ‘other things’). The live footage was very impressive, a multi camera shoot with high production values featuring The Streets, Editors, Soloman Burke, UNKLE and many more stars of last year’s festival. The film will be available to watch on http://www.pohodafestival.sk soon.
There was also a photo montage documenting Václav Havel’s appearance at last year’s festival. Havel was the first president of post communist Czechoslovakia, who came to international prominence for his 1977 human rights manifesto ‘Chapter 77’ and subsequent imprisonment. Kaščák first met Havel in 1988, when working as a musician. “I had a band during communist time and we had so many problems so I know what it is to be free. We have no censorship and I can invite any band that I want and I’m thankful that this is the case. Havel is a symbol of change and that’s why he was there last year.”
Is it important that Pohoda is more than just a music festival?
“We started as a music festival and changed to an arts festivals involving people like NGOs in discussions. Last year Havel’s speech attracted 9000 people. These things are very important for me as it gives me the energy to continue. It’s important because 20 years ago it wasn’t possible to do events like this. We want not just to have fun but to celebrate that we have the freedom to do it.”
Following the photo montage, the music begins. The first of two bands to play are youcoco, a female duo from Trenčin. The two band members alternate between vocal duties, guitar, bass and drums – only 2 instruments are ever played together, giving their sound a lo-fi, stripped down feel. They play very British sounding melodic indie and they do well by indie rules. Less than perfect playing can be offset by charm (they have lots of it), and an endearing modesty, awkwardness even, should prevail over rockstar grandeur (it does). BratVegas have never seen a Slovak band who have reminded us this much of being in a pub venue with 100 indie kids all happily bouncing along. To us that’s a good thing, so youcoco get a big BratVegas thumbs up.
Rounding off the evening are Vrelo, who have played at many festivals around Europe including Exit in Serbia and last year’s Pohoda. They started life in 1999 as a traditional Serbian folk ensemble, featuring 18 female vocalists and 7 musicians playing Serbian folk instruments. The band today is a different thing altogether, retaining 6 female vocalists but ditching the instruments in favour of programmed ethno-ambient backing tracks, with a live drummer and bassist. BratVegas asked if this was a gradual development and singer Ivana said “up to 2003 we were a traditional band with traditional instruments and it was the inclusion of guitar and drums that changed it.”
The next turning point in their career was coming 2nd in the 2007 BBC Next Big Thing Competition. Ivana said “it happened by accident. We were recording our album and the guy who ran the studio said we should enter. We said no but he sent it anyway - a few days later we were told we had made it to the last 20 and soon after that we were told we were in the top 5 and we were going to London to perform.”
Wearing matching black uniforms the girls take to the stage to a beatless backing track. From the moment they open their mouths the power and quality of the voices is in no doubt and the audience are in tow. The second number rocks out a bit 
with distorted low end guitar. The use of a beefed up 4 to the floor kick drum and off beat hi-hat takes the music sounds like ethno sampling Europop (think Dario G remixing Enya) but when more prominence is given to the vocals we’re back on track. The band are a combination of remarkable vocals and unremarkable production, so are better when the former is more prominent than the latter. We have doubts about the bursts of synchronised dancing too. It’s clearly designed to add a dash of showmanship and sexiness to the live performance, but looks a little awkward and forced, making us wonder who’s idea it was.
Looking at how the band and the music have been packaged, we suspect somebody’s done so based on what they think could make the band a commercial success. We cant help thinking we may’ve preferred the band as they were in their early days. They put on a fine show and have got incredible talent but the quest to make that talent sellable has reduced the essence of what makes them unique. They’re not bad, they’re very good, but we cant help feeling they could be better. Like a musical version of Stan Colleymore (for cricket fans Chris Lewis would be a more apt comparison).
Back to Pohoda 2009 and the festival will see many more acts than any previous year. The festival has grown year on year since the first one in 1997, when Kaščák’s friends from the Czech and Slovak music scene performed with a guest from Russia to a crowd of 2000. We asked Kaščák if there was one year which was a real landmark. “There were many. In ‘98 we added one more stage, in ‘99 we added one more day, in 2000 we started working with partners and sponsors. In 2004 we moved to the airport and it was a big change, it’s a much bigger space and you can feel our values. 2008 was very important due to the visit of Havel. We’ve had classical music since 2000 and last year I was very happy that the Slovak National Theatre Orchestra were there with the British Royal Choral Society.”
How important is the variety of music at Pohoda?
I like to explore new things and that’s why we started with world music with dance music. I like to put different things together and see how it works out. When we first had classical music I was very curious to see how it would work out and it was fine. When first had discussions we had 20 or 30 people turning up and now every tent is full. This shows people want to try something new and we want to bring them something new every year.
Many bands come year after year. They would only come back if they enjoy the experience of the festival.
It’s nice when people become your friends and you can feel it when you meet them. When Basement Jaxx came two years ago they were lovely people so we are happy we will have them this year again. The Slovak market isn’t so important and if acts release a new album it makes no difference. Sometimes this is bad because we don’t get support from management or labels so they send their bands to bigger markets. We know our reputation is good with agents because bands like the atmosphere and like playing the festival. Some agents don’t care and they just want their fee. I’m not naive and I know the power of music is not absolute but it does have power and it can change things. The bands themselves don’t think about numbers.
Who are your favourite acts from previous festivals?
My personal favourites are Prodigy and The Pixies. Last year it was Solomon Burke. The most important for the festival was probably The Stereo MCs in 2001, because they were our first big international headliner.
What are you most looking forward to in Pohoda 2009?
This year we will mix the Slovak National Theatre Orchestra with Hungarian State Opera. It is very important at this time when our relationship with Hungarians are getting so much attention [nonpartisan Ivan Gašparovič was successfully re-elected as Slovak president on April 4th, backed by a coalition (including Slovak nationalists) who’s campaign was driven by anti Hungarian scaremongering]. It’s something that disappoints me people as I love the differences in the people in Central Europe and I hate it when politicians abuse it for their own purposes. I am surprised that these problems exist in our times.
Do you believe art and music can change people’s attitudes?
I hope so. When you see what’s going on in Slovakia it doesn’t feel like a time for idealism but we still must try. Seeing so many different people at Pohoda and observing how they behave and how they treat each other makes me an optimist.
