Baščaršija Nights Festival Opens Tomorrow with a Bombaj Štampa Concert; Rich Program Runs Through July 31
The Baščaršija Nights Festival opens tomorrow, marking the beginning of a month-long celebration of music, theatre, literature, and culture. The 30th anniversary edition of the festival will feature renowned artists and ensembles including Bombaj Štampa, Željko Bebek, Edin Karamazov, and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, among many others.
This year’s festival will present a total of 17 programs across five venues. The opening event takes place tomorrow at the Festival Stage on Susan Sontag Theatre Square, where legendary Bosnian rock band Bombaj Štampa, celebrating more than 40 years of musical career, will perform.
On July 3, the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra (USA) will perform at the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC). The orchestra consists of five ensembles and 65 outstanding young musicians from Kalamazoo and nine surrounding counties in Michigan. It is the third-oldest continuously active youth orchestra organization in the United States.
One of the region’s most recognizable voices, Željko Bebek, will perform at BKC on July 16. The Adriatic groove band Nemanja, bringing together musicians from Pula and Zagreb under the leadership of Luka Šipetić, will perform on July 19, bringing Mediterranean rhythms and a taste of summer to Sarajevo.
On July 14, Smile Orchestra (Italy) will present a tribute to Italian swing music of the 1930s and 1940s. Singer-songwriters Brano Likić and Srđan Marjanović will take the stage on July 20, while Prava Stvar – Tribute to Zdravko Čolić will perform in the Grand Hall of BKC on July 28. Acclaimed lutenist and guitarist Edin Karamazov, internationally recognized as one of today’s most charismatic performers on the lute and guitar, will give a concert in the BKC Gallery on July 7.
In addition to its rich concert program, the festival will offer a variety of other cultural events. The SARTR Theatre production With Love From Bosnia will be performed on July 2 at the former Betbaša public bathing area. The festival will also host several book promotions.
This year’s festival will conclude on July 30 with a special concert organized in cooperation with the Sevdah Foundation, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the birth of Safet Isović. The closing program will also feature distinguished literary figures including academician Mile Stojić, Prof. Dr. Esad Bajtal, and poet Benjamin Isović.
The full festival program is available on the official website. The Baščaršija Nights Festival runs from July 1 to July 31, and admission to all events is free.
Official festival website: https://bascarsijskenoci.bkc.ba/bs/