Stephen Wordsworth

Trumpets in Guča, and Beer in Belgrade

Today we are hosting an entry written by Bill Longhurst, Charges d'Affaires in the British Embassy in Belgrade.

Life is rarely dull in Serbia.  Even in August when the capital seems to calm down, the streets are much clearer of traffic and the newspapers are obviously struggling to find interesting headlines, there are major events going on.

Successive weekends saw me visit two very different festivals, proving that there are still plenty of people around who have not fled to a beach or other getaway.   

“Guča” is shorthand for the SABOR TRUBAČA GUČA - translation Guča Festival of Trumpeters.  For four days, a small town slap bang in the centre of Serbia (a beautiful but testing 3 hour drive from Belgrade)  is overrun with visitors and fans of this very Serbian musical tradition. 

Down there last Saturday, I saw technically brilliant trumpet bands perform astonishingly high-paced, high-volume music while smaller groups of players wander around the streets and restaurants busking their own similar brand of music. 

All this is accompanied by exceptionally large amounts of beer being served alongside spit-roasts of lamb and suckling pig on every corner.

Despite the heavy drinking and merry-making, the only danger I witnessed was to the poor statue of the Guča trumpeter in the centre of town up which had climbed what looked like two dozen young men armed with kegs of beer, happily setting off flares.

Although it is unquestionably a very Serbian experience, it also somehow manages to have an international feel.  Visiting bands from a number of countries were taking part, including FYR Macedonia, Slovenia and even a marine band from the USA, although not yet from Britain.  We have our own very rich tradition of brass bands and the Mayor of Guča, rightly proud of another successful event with over 600,000 visitors, promised to invite a British participant next time around.  2010 will be the 50th anniversary of the festival and they are setting their sights high on VIP attendance:  Presidents Obama and Medvedev.

Back to Belgrade this week, to the Belgrade Beer Fest on the “Ušće” an enormous park in the centre of town at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube.  Some parallels with Guča – mainly the volume of beer being consumed - but very different music.  

A campaign theme of this year’s event, supported by the British Embassy, is environmental protection, specifically the “I choose to recycle” campaign.  Raising awareness of both the environmental, but also economic, benefits of recycling is not what you would immediately associate with a drinking event, but the sight of several participants carrying bags with empty beer cans (recycle 15 and you get a free beer!) suggested it was making progress.

This is just the first in a series of environmentally themed activities we are planning  this Autumn.  Keep an eye on this blog for further promotion of our green agenda through music, sports (London 2012) and "fashion" (Eko-Diplomatija).

Posted at 09:02 15 August 2009 by Stephen Wordsworth  |  Comments[2]