Songs from the heart: what surprises this year's "Soul Festival"

“Soul Festival” once again brings together the stars of Belarus and Russia on one stage

One of the main cultural events of autumn is now taking place in Minsk. The organizers prepared bright, creative and original concerts for the audience for the third time.

According to tradition, the Soul Festival started with the folk performing arts contest “People’s Soul”, which helps talents from different regions to come to the big stage. Applications were accepted from June to September. During this time, the organizers received more than 200 video works from performers from Belarus, Russia and Azerbaijan. According to the results of the first round, the jury determined 13 finalists who performed on the stage of the Minsk City Palace of Culture.

Concert numbers based on traditional music, author’s interpretations and modern stylizations were evaluated by a professional jury headed by choirmaster of the National Academic Folk Choir of Belarus named after Tsitovich Pavel Yukhnovich:

Criteria for victory are high performing skills, stage culture, bright and memorable costumes. Our competition is aimed at identifying and encouraging talented artists who feel the folk song subtly and are able to give it a new modern sound without sacrificing authenticity.

The teacher of secondary school No. 32 of Minsk Zoryan Kun was fond of folk singing in her teenage years. In music class, she played the flute:

- I go through life with a folk song because I consider it a national treasure. Loves creativity and family. I have an artistic grandmother - a kindergarten teacher, my father composes poems on melodies, my mother is fond of needlework: she prepared a costume for me and even made embroidery on it. I dedicate my speech to them, my main support.

In the nomination "Vocal creativity". Solo diploma of the 1st degree was received by an employee of the Brest branch of RUE "Belposhta" Galina Mitskevich. Best in the “Instrumental Creativity” category. Solo became a teacher of gymnasium No 3 of Vitebsk Arthur Soroka. In the nomination "Vocal creativity". The ensemble was won by the vocal ensemble “Galasy Prynyamonnya” of OJSC “Grodno Azot”. The Grand Prix of the competition, a weighty cash prize and the right to perform at the final concert “People’s Soul”, which will be held on October 17 at the Palace of Sports in Minsk, went to the vocal team “Veleya” of the Vileyi district center of culture. The artists shared their emotions:

- Very pleased with the high award. A good song is fast, short, loud and in the heart. That's what we have. Yesterday, the rich program of the festival continued with the concert “Star chanson”. The final day of the festival promises to be unforgettable. At 15:00, the concert “People’s Soul” will begin with the participation of star performers from Belarus and Russia Tatiana Kurtukova, Prokhor Chaliapin, the Balagan Limited group, the folk music ensemble “Byaseda”.

Guests of the concert will witness interesting creative experiments, unexpected duets and bright premieres, says director of concert programs of the festival Christina Dainiak. “Folk is fashionable” is a slogan that reflects the approach to drawing up the program. And at 21:00 in the Palace of Sports, the audience is waiting for a concert-disco “Dance platform with Soul Radio”.