Forest Orchestra - Etno Histeria 2025

Having high expectations can cause dangerously disappointing situations. I entered the forest around Grad Sneznik (central Slovenia) this year with the slight fear that I would not feel it anymore - not in the way I used to. A standard enough concern I suppose if you have done something many times. Well, I am relieved to say that this worry was entirely unfounded! The power that started to emerge from hours and hours spent in each others presence, surrounded by trees and bears (no joke!), away from the outside world, was enormously beautiful and powerful.

Wise moves of going to bed at a reasonable hour were soon abandoned, the need to stay together overpowering the need to sleep. Bonfire jams, South American dance moves, dips into the ice cold river, open stage nights, jump - dance - concerts, glitter, party bus trips, group hugs, Indian - French - Slovenian - Slovakian - Palestinian song lyrics, macedonian brass parties, Frida the dog.

As always, happenings instigated by Matija Solce carry with them a deeper purpose, a wider context of changing socio-political injustice, moving people closer to each other with help of artistic expression.

Outside of the fact that all of the 75 members of this years´ orchestra were exceptionally good musicians and just the kindest, funniest and most easy going bunch of people, we went through some truly beautiful, important and difficult times together.

I will never forget the faces of the inmates at the prison we visited in Celje. Holding back their tears, singing with us, clapping, petting Matija´s dog who - the beautiful soul that she is - crossed the border between us and them as soon as we got there.

As part of Floating Castle Festival, which happened at the end of our workshop days and concert tour with the Etno Histeria World Orchestra, Matija, Gaja Naja Rojec and their team organised a very special collaborative live- streamed event, "Float 2 Gaza". Involving choirs, rappers, puppeteers and musicians based in Gaza, we got to share a palestinian folk song, jammed together from afar and got an insight into their life stories. Tears and laughter, despair and optimism, closeness and at the same time the knowledge that we are apart, in a completely different scene. The song that one of the choir leaders sang for little Sarah, one of her choir members who lost her life a few days earlier, was just entirely heartbreaking. Our jam with a guitarist uplifting, the comment of one of the musicians - "hey, I hate drones, but I gotta say, you guys make it cool!" - hillarious. Floods of tears shaking the orchestra when we played La Tetlai, then a glance at our youngest orchestra members whose big eyes and open hearts would have you back smiling and with them in an instance ...

And then, as fast as we became one, we dissolved again - "puffff" - gone. Never to happen again in this exact format ... Heartbreaking! But I suppose that´s life, is it not ..

Well dear orchestra, dear Matija, Petra, Tilen and Aleš, Laura, Sven, Larisa, Tines .... it was an absolute privilege to be with you all. I miss you! A lot ! At least I get to sleep now ;-)