Maria Sol Lence is a circus performer and dancer from Argentina, who, through her artistic expression, combines elements of dance, circus and humor, which contribute to her authentic style.
At a street point of our festival, she will perform the play “Tutu”, a story of an unemployed dancer with a broken heart and her entry into the world of circus art.
She has many years of experience in dancing, while she has been practicing circus skills for over 10 years.
In her performances, she tries to dazzle the audience with her eccentric skills, such as balancing on bottles, balloons, aerial lyre acrobatics, and many others.
In addition to the clown dance, the visitors will also be treated to a musical program consisting of songs played on the accordion.
Teatroskop (France)
Amélie Poirier draws inspiration from the American female photographers from the 1960s and 1980s in order to create a choreographic and puppet journey in collaboration with the French contemporary photographer Lucie Pastureau.
Carried away by the rock music and protest energy of the period, and particularly inspired by the people photographed by Diane Arbus, she moves photographs through lighting, image mechanization, and photographic textualization systems and choreographic processes.
From the act of photography to the darkroom, from black and white to color, the entire photographic process is brought to life. The presence of female photographers-puppeteers illuminates the act of creation in line with the writings on photography by Susan Sontag and other female photographers of the period.
This reflection resonates with contemporary issues of representation and self-representation.
EPPAI (Japan)
EPPAI is a professional street performer from Tokyo.
He is a multi-instrumentalist who, during his performances, plays the violin with one hand, the piano with the other, while using the remaining parts of his body to play instruments such as kazoo and drums.
His performances last about 30 minutes, during which he conducts an orchestra of children’s toys, and simultaneously juggles and plays the violin and performs avant-garde clown antics. It all culminates in a unique finale – a human water fountain.
In the past 10 years, he has performed at many festivals of street performers in Japan, but also in Saudi Arabia, Korea, England and Romania.
His goal is to engage, confuse and entertain the audience.
La Tromba (Chile)
La Tromba is a five-member band from Chile characterized by a specific combination; Arabian percussions, trombone, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone.
This band combines elements of different genres such as Balkan, Afro-Latin, Gypsy Jazz and Arabian style.
This year they are embarking on their third festival tour around Europe, bringing with them energetic rhythms that invite the audience to move and dance.
Menace
Milo Bogdanović was born in 2008 in Novi Sad.
He fell in love with the trap music style at the age of 14, listening to the domestic and foreign music scene.
He writes his songs independently and has so far recorded several tracks in the said musical genre.
His artistic name is Menace and he believes that he will make it on the local music scene.
L&A Jazzical
L&A Jazzical is a musical duo born out of friendship and their desire to create together at the Music Academy in Bratislava.
This duo consists of Aleksandar Gvozdica from Kruševac and Luka Vujović from Kikinda, who were united by their musical taste and similar performance style.
Although this duo is very young, they have already had the opportunity to perform at various events in Bratislava.
Their diverse repertoire consists of a combination of several musical styles, such as classical music, in most cases the works by the composer Astor Piazzolla, Gypsy Jazz, and original folk songs.
The main motive and goal of their performances is to do the most unique rendition possible of all compositions and songs, with their own arrangement and improvisation.
Their repertoire consists of songs such as Libertango, Histoire du Tango, Tango cité, Minor swing, Murka, Manoir de mes rêves and Hora Lautarilor.
S-alt (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Soul Alternative, abbreviated as s-alt, was formed in Tuzla in 2021. It was originally conceived as a collaboration between singer-songwriter Filip Marić and producer Jasmin Avdić, which was followed by the expansion of the band, when they were joined by Bakir Memišević (keyboards), Mladen Ristić and Denil Babović (guitars), as well as Amina Halilčević (drums).
So far, they have released the singles Gorko slatko, Novčići¸ Stišaj glad, and Slojevi.
The album “Teksture”, which was released in the summer of 2023, deals with the theme of man’s struggle with his own shadow, which can best be seen on the first released single Gorko slatko, which was born from the transformation of feelings of confinement and anxiety into an audio-visual work of art.
In addition to working on the album, the band presented itself to the public through performances at several regional festivals, including Kaleidoskop, Ethno Festival, Underground Music Festival, Zima Festival in Tuzla, as well as TAKT Festival in Novi Sad. At the guitar festival On the Way to the South in Mostar, s-alt was declared the best band, while they took second place at the Seventh Banja Luka Guitar Festival.
The sound of the band is a meeting of different styles that each of the members brings to it. This group is actively performing live, as well as doing multimedia projects in collaboration with artists from the region from all spheres of art.
Grozni Gadovi (Croatia)
Grozni Gadovi is a four-member band from Zagreb, consisting of Željko Stručić (vocals), Krunoslav Petrović (guitar), Sven Marković (drums), and Filip Špoljarić (bass).
For their first track, Nit se sjećam, nit išta osjećam, they say that it is a The Rolling Stones type of a song, because of its sonority and likability.
So far, they have released the songs Oslobodi me, Male pobjede, Ljubav nije dodir, Stoniran, as well as songs like Pravda, Tokyo, Ja želim nju, which, as the band states, are anthems of love in various forms, from eternal to toxic.
The song that stands out in terms of subject matter is the song Šapat, which talks about abuse and leaves a feeling of unease and a question mark concerning the society in which we find ourselves.
The track Daj mi struje is about the struggle with anxiety and inner demons that can win in some cases.
In search of their own musical identity, through their songs they highlight topics that are not openly discussed.
Uroš i Nejaki
Uroš i Nejaki is a five-member pop-rock band from Zrenjanin, formed in 2021.
This is a group that has performed at various festivals, guitar fests and clubs in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Zrenjanin, Kikinda, Subotica, Arandjelovac, and smaller towns throughout Vojvodina.
Uroš i Nejaki released their debut album in early autumn 2023.
The members of this band are Uroš Derikrava (vocals), Uroš Silaški (trombone and keyboards), Ivan Živković (bass guitar), Momčilo Momirov (drums) and Mihajlo Cvejić (guitar).
Mitar Zorić
Mitar Zorić is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Niš, who started his musical journey as a street musician in Belgrade, Kotor, Banja Luka, Novi Sad and Niš.
He is inspired by musicians such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Kralj Čačka, whose songs are often a part of his repertoire.
His first single, Šta mi je raditi, was released in June of last year, followed by the studio album “Makadamski građanin”, which was released in October of last year and which consists of 10 original songs.
The musical line-up consists of Andrija Kurtić (cello), Tom Sojer (guitar) and Mitar Zorić (vocals and rhythm guitar).
Vladimir Tričković
Vladimir Tričković is a street musician from Belgrade, who, during his many years of playing music, has also performed on the streets of Amsterdam since 1993.
Since 2000, he has been composing rock, metal, pop, and spiritual music.
He has been a member of several Belgrade hardcore bands, such as Tractor Driver, Day Dream, Stand Point.
This musician’s repertoire consists of covers of pop and rock songs, as well as original compositions.
Neoneboder
Neoneboder is a new darkwave/synth pop duo from Belgrade, consisting of Teodora Tasić and Alex Vujić Ohlsen. Teodora has been involved in music since her early childhood, while Alex has been playing the guitar since he was 14 years old.
They find their musical inspiration in artists such as Still Corners, Beach House, Lykke Lee, Fleetwood Mac and many others.
Teodora started her musical career in the band Tihi Talas, and now in the band Neoneboder she writes lyrics and helps Alex with music arrangements, and Alex does mixing and mastering.
In November last year, Neonboder released two singles: Kako da upoznam sebe and Mrak.
Underdog
Underdog is a Dutch band formed by two musicians who have been living and performing in Hungary for years.
The band members have extensive experience as street musicians throughout Europe, while their repertoire consists of rockabilly, blues, country, bluegrass and hard rock songs.
Underdog consists of two guitars, and a singer and a harmonica player, which is a flexible enough line-up for playing at smaller venues.
The members of this band are Richard F – (vocals, harmonica), Sjors Peppinick (solo guitar), and Peter Szepesi (rhythm guitar).
Tehacerosi
Tehacerosi are a band from Novi Sad whose music is a combination of rock and roll, reggae, local ethno music and other styles.
The band consists of Dragan Gvozdenović (drums), Srđan Nadrljanski (bass guitar, backing vocals), Roland Zališevskij (electric guitar) and Marko Stojčić (vocals, ukulele).
They play with various musical styles that they mix in their songs, so they have also covered themes from Mokranjac’s Rukoveti.
The influence of reggae is notable in their music, while some songs are in a classic rock style.
They recorded demo versions of all songs at a local music studio in Novi Sad.
Dejanie (North Macedonia)
Dejanie is the artistic name of the Macedonian singer-songwriter Dejan Markovski from Bitola.
He has been playing music for 13 years, while for the last four years he has been traveling around Europe and performing as a street performer.
He has been a member of several cover bands, but also of two bands performing their original music, including Nine weeks and KULI.
In recent years, he has been performing as a solo musician, and he says that his songs are the result of experimentation and improvisation, with relatively abstract lyrics.
So far, he has recorded about twenty songs, but he points out that releasing an album has never been his goal.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a band from Novi Sad, who find their roots in the indie-alt rock of the late nineties and 2000s.
The band consists of Nikola Mitrović (vocals, guitar), Mario Kujundžić (guitar, backing vocals), Pavle Kuntić (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Nikola Vujadinović (drums, backing vocals).
Their music is mostly in English and is a mixture of Zoomer lyrics and both warm and sharp instrumentals. They released their first EP “En Route” in 2021.
Since then, each subsequent single has been accompanied by an unusual music video. They say for themselves that their performances are characterized by explosive and sincere energy interspersed with a cheerful and positive atmosphere.
They performed at this year’s Eurovision Song Contestwith the song Nemoguća misija. They record and produce their songs alone in their bedrooms.
They are currently preparing for the upcoming festival season, during which they will release two new singles, and the release of their debut album is also announced.
Stefan Bogosavljević – Bora
Stefan Bogosavljević – Bora is a singer-songwriter from Despotovac, who has been living and working in Belgrade for a decade.
His desire to make music was born after listening to the tape “Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine” with a compilation of songs by The Doors. At that moment, his love for music, primarily rock and roll, was born, and it continues to this day.
In the beginning, like most self-taught guitarists, he played covers of classic rock hits, gradually venturing into new sub-genres of rock and roll from the domain of alternative rock sound.
After going away to study, he experienced separation from his family and his hometown, which resulted in a strong feeling of melancholy, so he began to create his first compositions and in that period his formation and maturation as a singer-songwriter began.
He describes his music as a creation of mixed genres with a predominantly melancholic tone.
At the Belgrade Kantfest held in 2017, he won second place according to the audience’s votes, while at the Novi Sad Youth Singer-songwriter Festival in 2019 he won first place according to the jury’s votes.
JAL
JAL (Josip A Lisac) is a band from Novi Sad that has been gathering musicians of different performing styles and affinities for fifteen years, and their music cannot be tamed by only one of the well-known rock and roll trends.
Their unique sound relies mostly on ska and reggae rhythms, but also extends to rock, blues, folk, jazz and punk.The lyrics deal with love, social, urban-philosophical topics using irony, poetry, rhyme, simile, joke, and most of all word play, which is one of the main features of this band.
JAL has so far released six studio albums, two EPs and over ten singles. Their last album Izmišljena sećanjawas released in 2019.
The current lineup of the band consists of Vedran Ferizović (vocals and guitar), Ratko Madžar (solo guitar and backing vocals), Kostantin Madjarević (bass guitar), Sandra Dropo Ramaji (saxophone and backing vocals), Stefan Stanečić (trumpet) and Siniša Karalić (drums).
JAL have performed at numerous festivals in the region, and now, after a short break, the visitors will have the opportunity to listen to them again at Gradić Fest.
Maršali
Maršali are a young band from Bečej, formed at the beginning of 2023. They found their musical inspiration in local pop bands like Eva Braun and Pop Cycle, but also bands like Veliki Prezir, Rebel Star and Oasis.
Last year, they released the singles Plovidba and Reči, while the third single, called Ljubavne promaje, was released in February of this year.
The band consists of Strahinja Tanasijin (frontman, vocals and rhythm guitar), Katarina Pivnički (lead guitar, backing vocals), Nemanja Radosavljević (drums, backing vocals), Dušan Ivanović (bass guitar), and Mateja Stražmešterov (keyboards).
According to the jury of the Rok Serbika competition, Maršali was declared the best high school band in Serbia. Frontman Strahinja Tanasijin states that the band got its name from the Marshall amplifier, but also from the song of the same name by the band Idoli, released on the album Odbrana i poslednji dani.
In addition to increasingly frequent independent performances, they have also had the opportunity to play as the opening act of the band Eva Braun at concerts in Novi Sad and Belgrade.
VOADO (Croatia)
VOADO is the name of the solo project by Vlado Remeš from Zagreb.
The repertoire of this musician consists of original songs such as Terra Madre, Let it go, All after all, Snooze, but also covers of songs by famous bands such as: The Queen, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Doors, Bruno Mars, The Black Keys, George Michael, ABBA, Pink Floyd, Blondie, Outcast, Blink 182, Dino Dvornik, and Songkillers.
He performs all the tracks on an acoustic guitar and a looper, while he has also stood out as a member of the Croatian group Đutko i plodovi zemlje.
Dobro jutro (Slovenia)
Dobro jutro is a performance performed by Luka Piletič and Andrej Tomše from Slovenia.
It’s a story about two friends who want to start the morning with a cup of coffee, but the clumsiness of one and the impatience of the other keep causing problems – now even the simplest tasks like setting the table or boiling the water seem impossible!
Will they be able to overcome their differences or will we come face-to-face with a real disaster?
Dobro jutro is a fast-paced farce with few words. It contains elements of physical comedy and circus skills.
KI KLOP (Croatia)
Ki Klop is a new disco pop band from Zagreb on the regional alt scene. The band was founded by Jakov Ramničer and Luka Žigolić, and with the addition of the drummer Laura Tandarić, they became a three-member live band.
This band consists of Luka Žigolić on guitar and vocals, Jakov Ramničer on bass and Laura Tandarić on drums and vocals.
With a strong, tight, catchy rhythm section and infectious dance grooves, Ki Klop throws everyone on the podium into a dance trance with their mantric guitars and vocals.
In June 2023, the band presented the EP U dućanu ćilima, which combines indie pop with touches of soft rock and electro disco.
ZHIVA
Iva Pažin ZHIVA made her independent breakthrough on the domestic scene with the release of her debut album Preterujem in November 2023, for Glitch Records.
The album consists of nine original songs and is set as a mosaic of genres – from alternative pop to jazz, hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass to reggae. What especially sets it apart is that it is dedicated to mental health.
The fact that she won the award for Best new artist in 2024, awarded by the Association of Independent Discographers RUNDA, is one of the indicators of her success on the cultural scene of the region.
She is one of the 11 regional musicians who made it to the list of artists to watch (100 ARTISTS TO WATCH) for 2024, brought by IMPALA in cooperation with YouTube.
ZHIVA is also a member of the Balkan beat gypsy punk band MAiKA.
Škofja Loka
Škofja Loka is a vocal-instrumental group from Belgrade that was created in the spring of 2021 in Tricky Art Studio, as a group of artists who deal with audio and visual art.
It is a ten-member band consisting of Uroš Kiš (drums), Milica Kaličanin (vocals), Nataša Gvozdić (vocals), Saša Ivanović (percussion and vocals), Jakov Firez (trumpet), Aleksandar Dervišević (bass guitar), Damjan Dobrila (ukulele and backing vocals), Gavrilo Mrđa (electric guitar), Đorđe Jokić (trombone) and Strahinja Hadži-Tonić (saxophone).
They released their first album Ljubim ti dušu, which is also available on vinyl, in March of this year. The album was recorded in collaboration with the producer Petar Rudić (Mravi, Svi na pod) in his studio Destilerija.
Škofja Loka relies on the most diverse musical styles of the 20th and 21st centuries. From rock, pop, punk, afrobeat, funk, electronic boogie, noise and hip-hop.
Their expression is a spontaneous combination and variation of those musical styles, as well as Belgrade’s urban sound based on the new wave, ranging from the alternative and urban pop scene of the nineties to new forms, under the influence of the city and the region in which they live.
So far, they have released videos for the songs Okinawa san, Najbolja drugarice, Nikad niko, while the latest video for the title track from the album Ljubim ti dušuwas designed and recorded as an evocation of the cult film Nacionalna klasa, directed by Goran Marković.
Džipsii
Jovan Živadinović, known under the stage name Džipsii, achieved success and visibility in the music industry with a combination of underground and pop sounds. His stage name is inspired by Shakira’s song of the same name.
The album Zapisi iz podzemlja, released in 2022 received critical acclaim for its originality and amalgamation of different musical influences.
The album contains 11 songs that combine elements of underground music with pop melodies.
He first attracted attention with the song Sve je isto, while his work is often praised for its emotional depth and innovative approach.
He singles out his participation in Songs for Eurovision 2023 with the song Greh as one of the key moments in his career, which led him to the final of the competition, after which he gained the status of one of the promising young artists on the domestic music scene.
IDEM (Croatia)
IDEM is a solo project of the musician Antun Aleksa, the trombonist of the bands Porto Morto and JeboTon Ensemble. He has also stood out as the singer and guitarist of the band Trophy Jump.
Through his music, Antun touches on topics important to him, intended to be primarily a hit both for him personally and for the wider audience.
So far, he has released six singles, while the first album Poyy has attracted great favor from the audience and critics in one year of its existence. This is best evidenced by numerous successful performances at clubs and festivals throughout the region.
IDEM has won the 31st Porin for Newcomer of the Year, as well as three Rock & Off awards. The second album CIAO, which will be released in the fall, has been announced with the singles Raspadam and Jadanja.
Ivan Radivojević Quartet
Ivan Radivojević is a trumpeter, flugelhorn player and composer from Belgrade, who completed his undergraduate jazz trumpet studies at the Anton Bruckner University in Austria.
So far, he has had the opportunity to perform and record with numerous bands from the Belgrade jazz scene, and he was also a permanent member of the pop bands Irie FM and Zemlja Gruva.
He was the Serbian representative in the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra big band of young musicians under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union in 2019, while in 2021 he was a finalist in the Euroradio Jazz Competition with his quartet.
Radivojević’s compositions from his first album In Plain View, released for the Italian label A.MA Records, are based on the influences of the American trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick: on the one hand, there is a more avant-garde musical language, and on the other hand, Scandinavian simplicity and melodiousness.
Besides Radivojević, the lineup consists of the most sought-after young musicians of the Belgrade jazz scene – pianist Andreja Hristić, double bassist Boris Šainović and drummer Bogdan Đurđević.
The quartet has performed at several festivals and clubs, including the Belgrade Jazz Festival, Jazz In Marciac, Jazz In The Garden, Bazzum, Telma Jazz Fest, Fest, Solar Jazz Fest, Frau Maier and others.
Max Kochetov Quartet
The Max Kochetov Quartet is a band that have been performing their original music on the Balkan jazz scene and beyond for a decade.
An authentic approach in the unusual framework of his compositions, an original and recognizable tone, are just some of the qualities that distinguish this Ukrainian saxophonist.
Max Kochetov, who has been living and performing in Serbia since 2006, has so far released three albums, It’s Time For Jazz, 13:30 and Altered Feelings, in collaboration with eminent musicians from this area.
His music is characterized by rooted elements of traditional sound with a touch of modern expression in an exciting and unpredictable flow.
The current lineup of this quartet consists of Max Kochetov (saxophone), Andreja Hristić (piano), Boris Šainović (double bass) and Miloš Grbatinić (drums).
Basterdjazz (Italy)
Basterdjazz is an Italian music group that performs jazz, funk and pop songs on brass instruments.
This group consists of trumpet, trombone, saxophone, tuba, guitar and drums, thus creating melodies that blend with the groove of funk and pop-commercial rhythms.
The unique line-up of Basterdjazz makes their performances impressively musically diverse, and their live performances are dynamic and engaging.
Vladimir Maričić Trio
Vladimir Maričić was born in 1965 in Šabac, and he started his professional musical career in 1988, when he joined Lazar Tošić’s Quintet.
In London, he had the opportunity to perform at local jazz clubs 606, Jazz Caffe, HQ Camden and record the first part of the material for the album Ornaments with bassist Richard Santos and drummer Mark Fletcher, while the second part of the album was recorded after his return to Belgrade with double bassist Miša Blam and percussionist Nenad Jelić.
He has performed at many national and international festivals in Zagreb, Belgrade, Athens, Munich, Timisoara, Paris.
He received an award from the Association of Jazz, Rock and Pop Musicians, as well as from the authors’ organization SOKOJ for the most broadcasted jazz composition in Serbia in 2020, while in June 2021 he released a new CD called Ibar for PGP Radio Television of Serbia.
Jure Pukl Organic Trio (Slovenia)
Jure Pukl is a Slovenian saxophonist, composer and jazz musician. He studied in Vienna, The Hague, at the Berklee College of Music, and received his master’s degree from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz.
He has collaborated with world jazz musicians such as Esperanza Spalding, Branford Marsalis, Dave Liebman, Maceo Parker, Nashit Waits, Greg Hutchinson, E.J. Strickland, Joe Sanders and many others.
Pukl’s new trio includes bass and drums in addition to the saxophone. Tjan Šoštarič is a young Slovenian bassist who lives in Vienna and plays with musicians such as Joris Dudli, Marko Črčec, Joander Cruz, Daniel Nösig and many others.
Oleg Markov is a jazz drummer of Ukrainian origin who has collaborated with musicians such as Curtis Fuller, Frank Lacy, James Spaulding, Larry Willis, Gregory Porter, Alex Sipiagin, Essiet Essiet and Don Friedman.
The music that these three internationally renowned musicians play is original and contains elements of jazz, modern classical music and a mix of popular music genres.
Dragon’s Fuel
Dragon’s Fuel is a band from Novi Sad founded in 2016, which, in the latest line-up, consists of Lav Kovač (drums, sampler), Predrag Okiljević (tenor saxophone), Marko Čurčić (bass guitar) and Dušan Petrović (tenor and baritone).
After the debut album Dragon’s Fuel, the band released Oranges (2020) and Fruška Džungla (2022), all three under the HORZ label, which was started in 2018 by most of the founders of Dragon’s Fuel – Lav Kovač, Marko Čurčić and Predrag Okiljević.
So far, they have performed at many prestigious festivals, including Ring Ring (2018), Novi Sad Jazz Festival (2018), Carousel (2019), Belgrade Jazz Festival (2019), Šumadija Blues and Jazz Festival (2020).
Outside of Serbia, they have performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria.
