ABOUT

Commissioned specifically for the East of Culture – Different Sounds Festival, the KATOLUB Orchestra is a unique collaboration celebrating two major milestones: Lublin’s 700th anniversary and Katowice’s recent designation as a UNESCO City of Music.

These two significant anniversaries gave rise to a need for collaborative action. Musicians who typically operate in completely different musical territories were invited to participate in the project. Lublin is represented by the folk ensemble Čači Vorba, while Katowice contributes the combined musical forces of the avant-garde bands Lód 9, Hengelo, and Pigeon Break. The result of this encounter and musical dialogue is a new body of work, which will be performed for the first time on July 9th at the Lublin Castle Courtyard to mark the festival’s grand finale.

ARTISTS

Čači Vorba (Lublin)
Regarded as one of Poland’s leading folk acts, Čači Vorba boasts a German Record Critics’ Award and over 400 performances across 20 countries, including a debut at the legendary WOMAD Festival.
The Sound: An expert “Gypsy fusion” of Carpathian, Balkan, and Romani traditions mixed with jazz, rock, and film music. Eschewing “sequin-style” clichés, they use acoustic instruments to create psychedelic, trance-like spaces.
The Lead: Vocalist and violinist Masza Natanson is a rare non-Romani artist who writes and sings in the Romani language. Her style was forged during years of wandering the Carpathians, living and learning among Spisz Romani musicians.

Line-up: Masza Natanson (vocals, violin), Rafał Gontarski (accordion), Piotr Majczyna (bouzouki, mandola, guitar), Robert Brzozowski (double bass), Stanisław Siedlaczek (percussion).

Lód 9 (Katowice)
Described as “ordered noise and liberated sound,” Lód 9 pushes the boundaries of the imagination.
The Sound: An avant-garde trip featuring electronics, French horn, and violin. It is unpredictable, high-energy music designed for “the day after the end of the world.”
The Background: Founders Michał Zdrzałek and Maciej Klich are childhood friends who began their collaboration while studying at the Academy of Music in Kraków.

Hengelo (Katowice)
Formed in late 2015, Hengelo blends modern rock with 1980s synth influences and contemporary alternative sounds.
Achievements: Winners of the “Katofonia Music Outbreak” and the “District Sounds Good” project under the Katowice UNESCO City of Music banner. They debuted with the promotional release Hungry Eyes in 2016.

Line-up: Mateusz Konieczny (vocals), Robert Zając (bass), Paweł Palej (guitar), Łukasz Kozera (keys), Jacek Brzezina (drums).

Pigeon Break (Katowice)
The solo project of Michał Paduch—composer, bird lover, and “spaghetti master.”
The Sound: Self-described as “post-traumatic electro freestyle,” Paduch creates “angry songs for angry people.” His work is characterized by a fierce independence and a disdain for the blues and poor punctuation.

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