At the beginning of July, we hosted our very first folk festival Litha Fest at the Gentbrugse Meersen. It turned out to be a much greater succes than we could have ever imagined for our first edition. We welcomed almost 600 visitors throughout the day, we’re so grateful for the warmth and the positive vibes that you have sent us all day long.

Litha Fest is more than a music festival, it’s an overall concept with workshops (throat singing, balfolk dancing and wood carving), a market where vendors could display their unique offerings, a tattoo artist, pyrophotography, rituals and off course concerts of Hert, Faybula, Sorcières, Davy’s Jam Trio, Nytt Land and Faie.

Litha Fest started with a throat singing workshop in which interested parties could warm up his vocal cords to sing along with the bands for the rest of the day. If this wasn’t your cup of tea, you could still go to the market, where you could browse around at various market stands.

The first band of the day was Hert. Hert is a pagan folk metal band from West-Flanders where you can feel the influences of power metal. Thanks to the combination of violin with the heavy guitars, drums and bass, the music is solid, but still danceable. They made sure that everyone immediately got in the mood with their energetic songs, and the audience liked their performance a lot. Special mention: The drummer indulged himself so much that he kicked his bass drum to the Philistines.

The second performance of the day was Faybula, the live-band of multi-talented Morgane La Fay. Faybula took us on a magical journey with a Midsummer Ritual and musical storytelling. The performance was a welcome respite. The audience could relax for a moment and got carried away with the beautiful stories. The combination of Morgane‘s angelic voice and the musical accompaniment on flute and violin was truly divine.

Next up: Sorcières. Sorcières is a French Folk/Black Metal band based in Lille which started in 2017. The lyrical themes are all about Nature, Darkness and Folkore. I like the approach of Sorcières and to a certain extent they are really delivering some kind of new Folk Metal Style combined with Atmospheric and Epic Black Metal. The build up to the soundscapes of their songs is amazing. Pumping drums, melancholic melodies and terrific vocals, the mix of black and folk elements works wonderfully, and the audience loves it. A job well done!

The next band was Davy’s Jam Trio. Davy’s Jam Trio from Ghent is a group of three friends with a passion for Celtic folk music. With a powerful combination of guitar, whistles and uillean pipes, the trio gives the best of themselves to fully immerse you in the Celtic atmosphere. These three young gentlemen are part of the band Sanseveria. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the performance, a downpour passed over Litha Fest, causing yours truly to put away his camera equipment for safety reasons. Unfortunately no pictures of this show. There were some brave spectators who wanted to show their newly learned balfolk moves to the rest of the audience. The atmosphere was good.

Next came the act everyone had been looking forward to, Nytt Land. Music, skillfully balancing on the brink of acoustic ritual metal and the epic songs of Ancient Siberia and the Old North. Travel between the cold landscapes of the Tundra, the Mongolian steppes, and the Scandinavian fjords through the songs of Nytt Land. Nytt Land is inspired by the traditional music of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. Primordial dark folk music inspired by Siberian nature, shamanic rhythms and the mixed in the Old Icelandic epic “Elder Edda” and unique atmospheric sound. From the moment the show started, the audience was immersed in a mysterious atmosphere.  Natalya‘s vocal abilities, coupled with Anatoly‘s throat singing, created an ethereal sound that transported the audience to the vast wilderness of Siberia. The use of traditional instruments, such as the flute and the Morin khuur (Mongolian horsehead violin), gave an authentic touch to the performance. These sounds filled the festival grounds and managed to evoke an almost trance-like state in the crowd. The audience, ranging from loyal fans to curious newcomers, was noticeably captivated. People often listened silently, almost breathlessly, to the complex sounds and rhythms that the duo managed to create. Nytt Land delivered a mesmerizing and intense performance that pushed the boundaries of music and poetry. Their ability to combine traditional folklore and modern musical influences is truly unique and makes for an unforgettable experience. For anyone who is open to a musical journey into the depths of Siberian mythology, a performance by Nytt Land is an absolute must.

The last show was a closing ritual brought by Faie. Faie has Celtic roots and is a spiritual singer-songwriter from Ghent. Her music is linked to her background as a Yoga Teacher and practitioner of Paganism. In this way her music is influenced by ‘Kirtan’, ‘Pagan Folk’ and ‘Shamanic’ traditions.  She is blessed with a pure voice and enchanted everyone with her performance. Her music touched deeply and allowed the listeners to travel through different emotions and let go of what no longer served them by writing their feelings on a piece of paper which was set on fire. It was the perfect way to get your feet back on the ground after a fantastic day.