Sabałowe Bajania in Bukowina Tatrzańska is the National Competition of Storytellers, Instrumentalists, Singers, Groomsmen and Wedding Starosts, which is old highlander tradition.

The history of “Sabałowe Bajania” dates back to 1967, when they were held for the first time in Bukowina Tatrzańska, and their originator was Józef Pitorak. It continues to this day and it cannot be denied that from the very beginning, enjoying great interest, it attracts crowds of people from all over Poland to Bukovina. This festival effectively promotes attitudes based on the awareness of one’s own cultural identity, and teaches respect and tolerance for other ethnic and national groups. During “Sabałowe Bajania”, we can encounter the Romani or Jewish culture, as well as Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and Ukrainian folklore. Sabałowe Bajania has been very popular in recent editions as a celebration of folklore, tradition, dialect, singing, dancing, music and folk art.

This year’s 55 Sabałowe Bajanie in Bukowina Tatrzańska, held from 5-8 August, was attended by storytellers, musicians and singers not only from Podhale region, but also from other parts of Poland: from Orawa, Beskid Śląski, Żywiec, Greater Poland and other corners of our country . The competition gathered a large number of participants (175 program points), whose presentations, according to the jury, were mostly of a high professional and artistic level.

“Wielkopolanie” at this year’s edition of the festival were represented by musicians of the Forge of Tradition, to whom the jury consisting of outstanding ethnographers, ethnologists, ethnomusicologists, linguists and cultural anthropologists awarded:

1st place for Piotr Górecki – Greater Poland bagpipes,

2nd place for Jakub Sławiński – wedding goat,

and a special mention by Karina Gąsiorowska – singing.

The whole event was accompanied by many attractions, including: presentation of folk bands in a parade ride, theater performances, performances of regional bands and concerts of folk bands, tasting of regional dishes, photo exhibitions, shooting competitions and an open-air event Sabałowa Noc. During the festival, the National Exhibition of Folk Art was also held, during which you could see the works of over two hundred artists from all over Poland, and a Folk Art Fair, during which folk artists presented the secrets of creating their works

                                                                                                        PK