Folk and Gypsy jazz at the cultural festival:
Open-air under neon lights
Free music / "Family program" well-attended

"When I get home, I'm going to burn my violin!" The somewhat older visitor was clearly impressed by the "Mecki Balog Quartet" with its "devilish violinist," Alexander Kraus. Despite the awful weather, the cultural festival was already well-attended on Saturday afternoon. Although, it wasn't entirely "free and outdoors." There were a few caveats: the neon triangles of the food tent loomed overhead (even though the feared weather disaster didn't materialize), and you had to pay for the coffee and cake feast. But the music was free.

After a soundcheck lasting almost half an hour, the Mecki Balog Quartet strummed, strummed, and plucked a few tunes. Despite the four musicians' laid-back attitude, their sound was captivating. Jazz standards by the French composer and guitarist Django Reinhardt, or pieces like Monti's Csárdás, are attracting ever-growing audiences, so much so that there are soon not enough chairs. Hailing from Sindelfingen and well-known locally, double bassist Branko Arnsek is among the performers. It was through contact with him that the quartet's engagement came about. This year's afternoon program is organized by IG Kultur, celebrating its tenth anniversary, which is able to cover part of the concert costs with a subsidy from state funds via the

"Jazz Promotion Association of Baden-Württemberg."

Why even hold an event like "Free & Outdoors" at the cultural festival? Experience has shown that lighter music in a relaxed setting is more popular in the afternoon, explains Albrecht Barth. The chairman of IG Kultur calls this a "family program," and indeed, a few little rascals are sipping their orange juice in the colorful tent. After the Gypsy jazz, it's time for folk. "Second Hand" is the second group to perform. They say they chose this name because "we only play covers." The tent is even more packed, and the crowd is thrilled. Their performance at the cultural festival has a complicated backstory: They were originally supposed to open the folk festival in July in Sindelfingen's market square. But then the market square was given over to another event at short notice, and they moved to the area in front of St. Martin's Church. To avoid clashing with an organ concert scheduled for the same time, "Second Hand" decided against performing, a gig they've now rescheduled. But the three musicians are a bit unlucky: After two encores, despite the continued applause, there are no more, because parts of the sound system are already being carried into the main tent, where the cabaret show is about to begin.

Thorsten Eberding

Folk and Gypsy jazz at the cultural festival
Open-air under neon colors