Katalena

In the chapter of contemporary Slovene popular music, Katalena needs to be addressed as no more and no less than a phenomenon. The story of this urban band begins in an idyllic village in the southeast of Slovenia, where, in the summer of 2001, a group of six enthusiasts unearthed archival folklore material and rejuvenated its rustic image in line with their art rock, funk, jazz, and blues pedigree and with their own integral youthful vision that was as much philosophical as it was musical. The feedback from those privileged enough to encounter the six-some music in its prime soon outgrew the original idea of a one-off experiment, and in the months and years to follow, sons and daughters of Katalena took the stages of the most prominent festivals, concert halls, and clubs home and abroad by storm. In sixteen years' time, the band gave birth to seven brainchildren – (Z)godbe/Stories (2002), Babje leto/Indian Summer (2004), Kmečka ohcet/Country Wedding (2006), Cvik cvak! (2008), Noč čarovnic/Night of the Witches (2011), Enci benci Katalenci (2015), and Človek ni zver/Man is Not a Beast (2017). Albums received great attention among music writers who are, to this day, still unable to categorize them, turned the existing folkloristic theories upside down, and converted a great number of doubting Thomases into folk music fans. Combining the best of Slovene traditional music, carefully selected from the archives, songbooks, and old vinyl records with solid rock rhythms, funky groove, and enviable arranging skills, it creates a unique post-folk rock style that presents the music legacy of Slovenia’s regions in an utterly new light. Fused with dynamic and invigorating electrical instruments, which caress the enchanting singing, it is transformed on the stage into a dance and sound performance that mesmerizes even the most musically pampered ears. Katalena is the most inspirational voice of the 21st-century Slovene folk music soundtrack. Katarina Juvančič, journalist and ethnomusicologist Discography: (Z)godbe / Stories, 2001 Babje leto / Indian Summer, 2004 Kmečka ohcet / Country Wedding, 2006 Cvik Cvak!, 2008 Noč čarovnic / The Night of the Witches, 2011 Enci benci Katalenci, 2015 Človek ni zver / Man is Not a Beast, 2018