No. 24: 3 - 6 July 2014

Session Atmo and political message: The TFF opened in 2014 coinciding with a special act. The musicians of Water Is Right gave a benefit concert to advocate clean drinking water. Band member Rolf Stahlhofen included artists from the Dunstkreis von Gentleman and Söhne Mannheims. Part of the project was a water box in Heinepark containing treated, drinkable water from the Saale. Here thousands of TFF visitors took part in a tasting and were informed about the commitment of the Water Is Right Foundation.

 

The successful start on Thursday also began with Turtle Island from Japan in Heinepark. Tribal punk rockers producing powerful sounds that attracted mainly younger festival-goers, as with the later shows from Kali Mutsa or Judith Holofernes and of course Russkaja. They played on Sunday to a large audience and made a rousing finale. Hardcore folk fans and longtime TFF friends were more likely to be found at June Tabor & Oysterband again, celebrating David Bromberg, Eddi Reader or the great Arto Lindsay.

 

Large unanimity then again with this years Country in Focus Tanzania. Many felt exhilarated that the festival was enriched by the outstanding musical culture of Wagogo, especially the women of the Ufunuo Muheme Group. Impressive experiences were also had at Tarbiya Islamiyya, the ensemble of a Madrasa in Zanzibar. The Tanzanian Safi Theatre and Circus Bombástico from Dresden also made it fun by performing in advance at different schools throughout the area as well as at Tanzfest itself. With Tanzania, the TFF had chosen a really complex project and brought only 80 artists to Rudolstadt but the audience rewarded every effort with its enthusiasm!

 

There were particularly evocative moments again in the theater and in the church with The New Masters of Mugham from Azerbaijan and the South Korean artist Kim Hae-Sook. Standing ovations were made for Bass guitarist Mattis Kleppen, Violinist Ottar Kasa and dancer Hallgrim Hansegard from Norway. Mattis Kleppen also played the Magic project, which was the Bass instrument this year in all its devoted varieties and facets. From the line-up, Michel Godard (Serpent, tuba, bass guitar) and Louis Sclavis (bass clarinet) French jazz musicians of international standing and protagonists of Folklore Imaginaire, most certainly stood out.

 

Samba- the dance of the year was a tribute to Brazil, where on Friday they had just kicked off the World Cup quarterfinals as the TFF was officially opened on the square in Rudolstadt. It was 1: 0 Germany-France. The rest is football history…

 

Several times in the history of TFF the entrance to the Heidecksburg has been blocked because of the large crowds and this year was no exception at the RUTH awards. For the special trophy of the German World Music Award went to the acclaimed Rainald Grebe. Klezmer Alps, the Grand Prize winner, was also celebrated and there was also a prize for Liloba. The honor RUTH award went to the librarian Barbara Boock. In 2014 there were also even more prizes to distribute: The final of the Global Music Contest Creole came to Rudolstadt instead of Hanover, where the finals of the nationwide competition was supposed to take place. The jury crowned four winners: Sedaa, Pulsar Trio, Kapelský & Marina, Volxtanz.

Including the Creole groups and the buskers a total of 163 bands were present. 1083 artists offered audiences 285 appearances (concerts, workshops and talks). To get from A to B, there was this year for the first time a shuttle bus between downtown and the Heidecksburg. This transportation could be used for free with any festival ticket. Also new was our Festival blog: Students of the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar were (almost) around the clock on their way around TFF posting impressions, interviews and photos. Before the 24th Year ended it was "Fare thee well” for Michael Kleff, chief editor of FOLKER. The future is for him, less Rudolstadt, more New York…