The 46th Beskidy Highlanders' Week of Culture (TKB)

1st - 9th August 2009

Wisła, Szczyrk, Żywiec, Maków Podhalański, Oświęcim

This project is subsidied by Minister of Culture and National Heritage

     On one hand - a great feast, with its indispensable elements: excellent gigs, a big fair, good mood and carefree play. On the other hand - love for tradition, being inrooted in the culture of "a small homeland", the return to old traditions of family land and a society in which we were born and live.
These both elements overlap. And although this first one overtakes now in the times of unification, globalisation and mass culture development, the second one is the first and most important. This devotion to tradition, to native identity of culture started the Beskidy Highlanders' Week of Culture (TKB). And since culture also means play, this element is included as well in an event which was begun by the highlanders in Wisła in 1964.
It was there that the story of this festival began, of a festival which is said to be the oldest and biggest one in Europe or maybe even in the world. Every year there are about four thousand dancers and singers taking part, over one hundred groups, for nine days in five towns there are forty five big concerts, plus some smaller ones, four street parades and a number of gigs at market squares or in the streets. Also, there are folk artists: sculptors, painters, lace-makers etc. They participate in exhibitions organised during TKB.
Wisła, Szczyrk, Żywiec, Maków Podhalański, Oświęcim are the main festival towns. TKB was held in Wisła first and then the idea spread round. Within TKB other, smaller events take place - nowadays these are "Wawrzyńcowe Hudy" in Ujsoły, "Gorolski Święto" in Jabłonków (in Czech Republic), "Istebniański Festyn" in Istebna.
The main idea of TKB is to make it a big, Beskidy holiday, both of folklore and the Beskidy highlanders. They feel it this way. That is why all folk groups from the Beskidy region perform during TKB. Some of them take part in the Festival of Polish Highlanders' Folklore (FFGP), which has been held in Żywiec for thirty five years. The Beskidy highlanders meet with highlanders from other regions of Poland. They compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze Żywiec Hearts in various categories such as traditional singing, dancing, genuine recreation of rituals, presentation of customs. There is an extra competition within FFGP for over hundred folk instrumentalists and singers.
The highlanders' groups come to TKB not only to compete. They also come as guests invited by the hosts to celebrate and have fun together. Every year groups from other regions of Poland come as well. They add up to the charm of the festival. Polish groups from Zaolzie in Czech Republic are special guests too as they cultivate customs of the Polish minority there. Sometimes they also participate in FFGP.
This Summer groups from various parts of the world but mainly from Europe come. For fifteen years some of them have been participating in the International Folk Meetings presenting what is the most valuable in their own tradition. Very often foreign groups are invited by the Beskidy groups with whom they keep in touch.
We invite for the Beskidy holiday, for having fun at the concerts, for street parades. We invite to listen to - at least during FFGP - the oldest and mostly rooted in Polish tradition songs and music which, is reflected and transformed in the sound of contemporary folk-pop groups. We invite to see exhibitions of folk art and crafts, to see folk artists at work. We invite to sample traditional highlanders' cuisine and honey vodka. And finally we invite to taste the beauty of the surrounding Beskidy mountains where the highlanders' culture is being created.

    

In 46th TKB within:
40th Festival of Polish Highlanders' Folklore in Żywiec (1st - 4th August 2009)
The 20th International Folk Meetings in Żywiec (5th - 8th August 2009)
62nd "The Highlanders' Feast" in Jablunkov - Czech Republic (7th - 9th August 2009)
15th "Istebna Feast" in Istebna (1st - 2nd August 2009)
31th "St. Lawrence's Bonfires" in Ujsoły (8th August 2009)