Q&A: Filip Kostalek
Name: Filip Kostalek
Company: Colour Production, spol. s. r. o. (on behalf Colours of Ostrava Festival)
Title: Programmer
Based in: Czechia
What was your purpose for participating at Folk Spot 2023?
I was really interested in discovering new bands for our future lineups. We are booking a lot of world music and alternative bands but we don’t know too much about folk, country and danish music.
What trends and tendencies do you see in folk music right now?
I think there is not so much change. Still, the most important is authenticity and quality of voice/music. Still, there are two groups of artists — one group which is going the pure traditional way and the other group discovering new ways of developing folk music and trying to break into a wider audience. The first group can easily get stuck in the niche market. The second group can get lost in a cliché.
What is your impression of the Danish folk scene versus folk music in Czech Republic? (Differences and similarities)
I think that the Danish folk scene is more developed and there are more fans of this kind of music. In Czechia there are just a few folk bands.
Did you make some new contacts relevant for your future work?
Absolutely, this part was very valuable for me. I met new people and also I had time to speak with people I know. I believe this will lead to new collaborations.
Which were the best musical experiences during Folk Spot Denmark and Tønder Festival?
From the Folk Spot lineup I liked Sylfide and Solsort the most. From Tønder Festivals programme it was Adyn Townes, David Ramirez and Shane Smith & The Saints