VII DUDELSACKFESTIVAL  SCHLEIFE – LAUSITS

It wasn't until the second time the organisation invited us that we could attend to the Festival. Dudelsack Festival is organised every four years due to economical reasons and this year has been its seventh edition.  Unfortunately, just four members representing Xeremiers de Sóller could attent the Festival. In this year's edition, most of the participants were from Germany even though there were also bands from Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

The representatives of Xeremiers de Sóller arrived there on Thursday midday. Our first impressions of the accommodation were  not as idyllic as we had expected. Although we were lodged in different bungalows in the woods next to a river, we were far from the town facilities and we didn't have any means of transport to move freely. Furthermore, the weather was cold, rainy and a bit windy, quite different from what we are used to. Fortunately, this feeling faded the next day and our first impressions changed from negative to enthusiastic.  Theorganisation of the Festival tried to make the most of our stay fulfilling all our needs.

The Festival started on Friday with an initial gathering of all its participants, a dinner and a short performance of each band.

On Saturday at 3 p.m., the Festival opened to the public and it was held in two different open air stages. Even though Schleife has a population of 2,500 inhabitants, 5,000 people from the town and surroundings attended the Festival.
Our typical clothes and music woke the assitants' curiosity and after our two performances on Saturday, the organisation asked us wether we would like to play a slow and ceremonious song on Sunday's mass. The suggestion flattered us and we accepted enthusiastically.

On Sunday at 9,30 am, the religious ceremony started and we played Bolero de Pòrtol. After the parade on the streets of the town centre, the performances started again. Lots of people who had seen us playing on the main stage, followed us on our performance on the secondary stage.

Once the Festival finished, many people congratulated us for our performances both, on the different stages and the religious ceremony.

The journey finished on Monday with an exclusive visit to one of the most typical places in the area which will probably force the dissappearence of four Schleife surrounding towns due to the expansion of a coal mine.

Andreu Magraner Brunet.
President
XEREMIERS DE SÓLLER