About  .  Contact  .  Donation Researchers have come across an extraordinary find close to Wielka Tymawa a village in Poland’s Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Members of the Biskupiec Detectorists Association “Gryf” stumbled upon a cache of medieval weapons Experts from museums and archaeology have commended the items’ exceptional condition This makes it a particularly rare discovery The weapon’s design resembles the Hand-and-a-Half Swords that saw widespread use in Western Europe during the Late Middle Ages Its pointed blade suggests that its main purpose was to thrust and pierce armor The weapons were discovered at a location close to the Osa River which historically had a wild and meandering course Experts in archaeology think these objects might have been underwater for centuries which explains why they’re in such good condition One axe even retained a fragment of its wood shaft something you don’t often see in these kinds of finds This isn’t the first time detectorists from “Gryf” have helped make big historical finds in the area the group played a key role in finding a trove of old Carolingian silver coins near Biskupiec in Nowe Miasto County Their work led to the discovery of over 130 silver deniers and pieces of coins from the 9th century The unearthing of the medieval sword and axes shines a light on Warmia and Masuria’s deep-rooted history The Ostróda Museum has begun X-raying and conserving the artifacts aiming to feature them in a permanent display later this year Links: Ostróda Museum and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative 2Energy🚀US scientists end 70-year fusion struggle, paving way for better reactorsAamir Khollam17 hours ago 7Space🚀Scientists aboard a plane with 26 cameras chase burning satellite and film its fiery fallChris Younga day ago 1Military🌟Beijing's 6th-gen jets can block US stealth bombers 620 miles away, claims ChinaKapil Kajala minute ago 3Energy🌟70-year-old nuclear fusion problem solved; can help tokamaks stop escaping electronsAmeya Palejaan hour ago 5Military🌟World’s first Amazon-style weapons marketplace debuts with drones, robots, ammoKapil Kajalan hour ago 9Culture🌟Tech games: Elon Musk wins as Sam Altman's Open AI drops full-profit shift for nowSujita Sinha6 hours ago Maria Mocerino Muzeum W Ostródzie A group of amateur treasure hunters near Poland’s Osa River made a remarkable discovery unearthing rare and well-preserved medieval military artifacts part of GRYF – Biskupieckie Stowarzyszenie Detektorystyczne also known as the Diocesan Detection Association uncovered a fully intact sword and two axes offering new insights into the region’s history The rare discovery features a sword measuring just under 3.2 feet long which explains its remarkably intact condition the swords and axes will be tested to learn more about their use and function but they are nothing short of “positively Medieval.” The priceless artifacts signify the historical significance of the Warmia and Masuria region and will be put on permanent display at the museum later this year the amateur archaeology group GRYF set its sights on the scenic Nowomiejskie district to hunt for historical treasures the group of history buffs and lovers who used metal detectors to satisfy their passion had unearthed notable finds such as coins from the Carolingian dynasty a village in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship As shown on the Ostroda Museum’s Facebook page they pulled an unusually large sword from the ground meant to be wielded with two hands The axe blades, Gizmodo notes suffered more wear and tear than the giant sword but were in an equally remarkable state One even retained “a fragment of its wood shaft,” Archaeology Mag says the Ostroda Museum cannot confirm any details about the lethal weapon crafted to weaken its enemies’ defenses other than its era: medieval. Archaeology Mag notes that the weapon harkens back to the half-and-a-half sword that saw widespread use throughout Europe They could be handled singlehandedly with a shield. When swung with two hands at full force, they effectively became a slasher that could destroy weapons, as per Darksword Armory Preliminary examinations of the pointed blade suggest that this artifact had been mostly utilized to pierce through armor, according to Archaeology Mag The artifacts, now in the hands of the Ostroda Museum, will undergo extensive preservation, as the sword the museum plans to integrate the weapons into its permanent collection What they know thus far: The military was most certainly present in the Nowomiejskie district The groundbreaking civilian archaeological group might have been following a hunch but it has led them to great success thus far Now focused on uncovering Napoleonic-era artifacts in Poland the team continues their search with enthusiasm Their efforts have earned praise from the archaeological community 0COMMENTABOUT THE AUTHORMaria Mocerino Originally from LA Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Premium Online Reggae Magazine “This really is Poland‘s most important reggae festival,” Maken tells me with a good deal of pride Miroslaw “Maken” Dzięciołowski is an important figure of the Polish reggae scene and he is the booker of Positive Music Promotion the organizer of Ostróda Reggae Festival British author Chris Salewicz had just told his audience in the Green Stage Room about his personal encounters with Bob Marley Maken and I are standing besides the stage I had just mentioned how surprised I was to realize that more than half of the line-up on the main stage consists of Polish artists.  the year Misty in Roots toured Poland.” It wasn‘t easy for Western bands to tour the Socialist East at that time “Misty in Roots were among the first bands ever to tour on this side of the Iron Curtain.“ Soon thereafter the Twinkle Brothers were officially invited to Poland to perform on a series of shows organized to support the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa International solidarity was a core value in Socialist countries and the Twinkle Brothers‘ arrival at the airport was featured by Polish state television “Everybody in Poland knows them,” says Maken “We see them as Polish artists even,” he jokes but getting one‘s hands on Jamaican or English records wasn‘t easy at all “That definitely helped spur the emergence of a local scene.” The movement grew from strength to strength played an important role in the counter-revolution that eventually reinstalled capitalism in Poland in 1989/1990 When the country joined the European Union in 2004 it became as easy for Polish artists to tour Europe as to travel through Poland Polish reggae never caught on outside of Poland The language barrier might well be the main culprit for that and few Europeans bother to learn that language Finding one‘s way through the beautiful festival town of Ostróda located about halfways between the Russian enclave Kaliningrad and the Polish capital Warszawa in the Masury region isn‘t that easy without basic conversational skills in Polish Most people I met were really trying to help though and some youngsters even surprised with fluent English or German Ostróda Reggae Festival is a household on the Eastern European event calendar It is an almost legendary festival in Poland I am surprised by how small the festival is when I arrive at the site the ambiance is that of a happy family party Ostróda is the family reunion of all those who organize and run the reggae part of Poland - singers The festival features no less than six stages five of which are dedicated to celebrating sound system culture the main stage where all the live concerts take place The campsite is located right next to the festival site so there‘s only a minimum of walking involved at Ostróda Reggae Festival That has been made possible by moving it to a former military base - a novum this year And what better way to put a military base to good use than organizing a festival “We hope you won‘t find time to catch a breath [sic] during these three exceptional days,” write the promoters in a little brochure that provides the visitors with all the important information it is really difficult to find a moment of tranquility unless you are one of those who don‘t mind missing out on anything You can even enjoy the concerts on the main stage while having your dinner A fancy smartphone app helps you to find your way around the festival if you’re not willing to carry the paper brochure with you And of course there’s free WiFi around the festival site Shows start exceptionally early on Friday - the first sound Ras Bass & Mystic Dubs start at 11h am on the Ras Bass & Mystic Dubs Station I‘ve only just arrived at Warszawa at that time so I‘m missing out on most of the first day‘s concerts The 235 kilometers from Warszawa to Ostróda seem much longer than it sounds as only parts of the road are actual highways Seeing the huge audience they draw - that is the moment where I start to realize how big UK offbeat music is in Poland The main stage is smaller here than on most other big reggae festivals but the generous application of technology makes for gigantic shows on par with much bigger festivals like SUMMERJAM Three big screens display what several cameramen film from different perspectives Luciano is the only Jamaican artist on this first night of the festival He flew over from Jamaica for this single show That might explain why it takes a while for him to get into it but even then it‘s no match to when the Messenjah was touring with Dean Fraser back in the days Luciano is playing with Natural Mystic Band from Poland It’s all too obvious that they didn’t have enough At least it got a bit better towards the end of the show Polish reggae singer and mainstream star Bednarek closes the main stage on this first night of the festival I had seen his face on a billboard along the Highway towards Warszawa and my Polish colleague Bartek Muracki tells me why: Bednarek won the second place of Mam talent the Polish version of the Got Talent series singing Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” Two of his albums went straight to number one of the Polish charts since and he has recorded an EP at the Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston the temperature has dropped notably and I’m exhausted from 48hrs on the road Apparently the organizers aren’t well enough in touch with the Almighty to keep their promise of three days of sunshine I wake up the next morning to a temperature of just 57.2 degrees Fahrenheit I decide to skip the Czwórka Reggae Contest staged at 12h a.m and treat myself to a decent breakfast in town instead the Green Stage Room offers welcome shelter from the rain I get to watch a Polish documentation first but don’t understand anything due to the lack of subtitles Next up is the screening of “Babylon” Franklin Rosso’s 1980 movie starring Aswad’s Brinsley Forde People sit right on the bare concrete floor Reggae is so much more than “just” music It’s astonishing how little attention most reggae festival organizers pay to other sides of reggae culture I stay to watch “Rude Boy Story” the documentary that tells the story of Dub Inc the independent French reggae band that has taken the world by storm They had performed at Ostróda Festival in 2007 already the sky clears up much and the sun smiles diffidently The Gentleman’s Dub Club is the first artist today I’m interested in Their mix of ska and dubstep with reggae and dub flavors goes well with the massive here The organizers of Ostróda Reggae Festival put much effort into staging the shows and their images are displayed on three screens in front of the main stage The lighting effects on the Red Stage are elaborate and lavish where India’s number one sound Reggae Rajahs from New Delhi elate the crowd with a top-ranking dub plate selection that includes Beres Hammond and Shaggy When I ask the Reggae Rajahs later how they enjoyed their first performance in Poland they’re unable to find the words to express how stoked they are Busy Signal and High Voltage deliver the tightest performance at this festival so far Busy was scheduled to perform at Ostróda in 2012 but couldn’t show up since he was imprisoned Busy seems to have brought extra motivation A dancehall set announced as “pure madness” stresses High Voltage’s strengths and has the massive come out of its shell to an extent that is rare and a reminder for him to ease up on the accelerator Daddy U-Roy doesn’t need such reminders anymore more classics than you could count in his luggage and a backing band with tremendous experience the Originator never rushes when he takes his audience through his show Most people in the crowd were born long after 1961 he had discussed with interested fans at the Reggae University session that takes places in the Green Stage Room on Friday and Sunday before the shows start The last day of the festival starts with another Reggae University session for me British author and journalist Chris Salewicz talks about his encounters with Bob Marley His seminal book “Bob Marley: The Untold Story” has just been translated into Polish Translator Maciej “Magura” Góralski is present as well and allows Polish attendants to follow the discussion in their mother tongue My personal concert schedule starts at 17:30h with Blue King Brown The Australian band mixes reggae and dancehall with rock and afro beat elements and isn’t short of top-ranking international credentials Carlos Santana called them “the voice of the street and the band of the future” Their appearance is another first at Ostróda Reggae Festival: it’s the first Australian band to perform here They celebrate the diversity they embody to the extent that the audience gets an eight-bar long solo and lead singer Natalie Pa’apa’a reads a declaration held in the spirit of the festival in Polish A nice gesture that is well received by the stunned crowd The band that helped spark the reggae renaissance movement in Jamaica starts with tunes taken from their new album “Evolution” If you were wondering how they won the Global Battle of the Bands contest in Malaysia in 2011 The five members of Dubtonic could all make more money if they accepted other engagements instead they focus on their own project for the love of music They perform at Ostróda for the third time Announced by the festival as “Ostróda’s favourites” they take the time to play a short set together with Kool Johnny Kool More important to the massive is the appearance of Dawid Portasz He has recorded an album called “Rastasize” at Tuff Gong Studio It’s an unusual Polish-Jamaican joint-venture that works surprisingly well I’ve stopped counting already how many times I saw them perform this festival season as none of their shows is like the one before Despite their packed travel schedule this year Roots reggae purists rejoice a few moments later when Don Carlos and the Dub Vision Band enter the stage the Waterhouse rocker and the experienced Californians cruise through Don Carlos’ work lightheartedly miss out on the Iration Steppas juggling on the Green Stage and say goodbye to old and newfound friends all over the place Smaller festivals offer two big advantages attending them means less stress compared to the overcrowded big ones less big names on the line up equals more opportunities to discover new artists Paired with the highly professional organization of Ostróda Reggae Festival and the incredible commitment to all aspects of reggae shown by the organizers you get a full weekend of first class entertainment and enough time to socialize and meet new people In cooperation with reggaenet.pl. © 2007-2025 United Reggae. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Read about copyright Terms of use | About us | Contact us | Authors | Newsletter | A-Z United Reggae is a free and independant magazine promoting reggae music and message since 2007 07/08/2022 by Gardy Stein It's been three years since I last touched Ostróda grounds – a long time to be deprived of Polish hospitality You can thus imagine my excitement of being here again as the Ostróda Reggae Festival has become one of my all-time favorites This year's 21st edition bears the heading Peace & Love a plea that's more urgent than ever in these crazy times The festival organizers had to cope with the double challenge of a new location and insecurities due to Covid Our Reggaeville Festival Report will bring this vibrant weekend home to you in words and pictures so you can join in the experience 7:54pm Due to a flight delay (a Europe-wide nuisance that affects visitors we arrived three hours later than planned and missed the first performances by Negril and The Djangos Upon entering the Amfiteatr at the lake where the traditional festival opening takes place the Paraliż Band is just closing their set followed by an announcement of moderator Mariusz Korpoliński and a quick changeover Time to grap some original Polish 'piwo' (beer) and 'frytki' (fries) and meet our friends Nine musicians are part of this long-standing band Krzysztof Błaszczak (trombone) and the drummer Dariusz Rokiciński Their setlist contains a well-balanced mix of pacy songs and slower pieces delivered in Polish mostly (with some English in between) The two singers Dymitr and Diana harmonize perfectly but actually the whole band is a joy to watch and listen to as everyone present gathers in front of the stage to dance and sing along Especially impressive are the huge flags brought along by the fans the open-mindedness of the Reggae scene here becomes evident further: we hear contemporary tunes like Wanted by Lila Iké Make Things Work by Kabaka Pyramid and You Teach Me by Jah Lil 10:47pm A mystic intro heralds the next band except for an illuminated spot in the middle where a man sits surrounded by an array of exotic instruments which he plays in turn jew's harp and pan flute are among the musical sounds he drops The multi-talented musician thus creates an intense acoustic atmosphere and I'm not the only one who wonders how the band will take over from this this question is solved: "Baroukh ata Adonai…" intonates Dariusz "Maleo" Malejonek founder and lead singer of the group Maleo Reggae Rockers The band celebrates their 25th stage jubilee tonight and they have prepared a special program for this occasion: not just the usual hits like Nie Tak but a spectacular performance that's more a light- and sound-show than a normal concert they invite a guest on stage that seems to be well-known to the audience (judging from the enthusiastic reactions) and he is active in the Polish music scene since the early '80s starting out to sing with the Reggae-band Daab as festival organizer Mirosław "Maken" Dzięciołowski informs me Together they perform Święty Szczyt by Polish Punk-Rock-Reggae pioneers Kryzys They finish their set a few minutes after midnight everyone (including me) is looking forward to a great festival day tomorrow 2:45pm Today starts with some vital education at the Uniwersytet Reggae founder and lead singer of the Polish Reggae band Bakshish has just finished a presentation of his 40-years band history and fans surround him to get a copy of his new album Ego the light is dimmed to start a film premiere: Rebel Dread is screened for the first time in Poland It tells the life story of British musician who directed (among hundreds of others) the music video for Musical Youths' Pass The Dutchie Vaiting in Vain and One Love for Bob Marley's and the movie Dancehall Queen The movie also gives us a vivid impression of what it was like to grow up in London as a Black kid how Punk met Reggae back in the '70s and how bands such as Big Audio Dynamite or the Screaming Targets took off 4:22pm A late lunch break takes us to Roślina i Wołowina at the town's main road (in case you ever visit Ostróda make sure you check them out – homemade burgers and delicious Falafel are their specialty!) and before I can be on my way to the Main Stage I have to return to the Dom Polonii quickly to finish yesterday's report Good thing the Ostróda Reggae Festival has a Livestream running so I can follow the opening performances of Johny Rockers and The Beat Rootz on screen 6:50pm Arriving at the new festival grounds Shashamane is rocking the Red Stage with songs of Ganja Healing and a great VJ show we first take a tour to become acquainted with what is where and great effort has gone into preparing it for the festival visitors the football field has been completely covered in plastic floor mats to protect the grass from dancing feet the changing rooms have been converted to sanitary facilities and press area and the backstage is located behind the substitute's bench drink- and food stalls and merchandise encircle the main stage and two paths lead to the Green Stage (where a lot of fast-paced Soundsystem action takes place) and to the camping grounds which are bathed in music by the Jah Love Sound which hosts more relaxed soundsystems and live riddim bands an area is reserved for children and recreation table tennis and chilling are some of the activities we spot there and the late afternoon sun dives everything in a golden light aforementioned Bakshish celebrate their 40 years band history They are one of the most well-known bands in Poland Radosław Sokołowski (lead guitar) and Artur Kocan (rhythm guitar) harmonize perfectly with singer Jarek and he in turn with backing vocalist Anna Mrożek As far as I can tell from the accompanying video show genetic manipulation and the need to educate ourselves in songs like Zrenica ('pupil') and Otwórzcie Oczy ('open your eyes') thus combining great musicianship with important messages and while I understood neither his name nor his lyrics the statement on his T-shirt comes across clearly: FCK PTN!  the rain that was announced for today has limited itself to a few showers earlier on we can even admire a beautiful sunset in the western sky the German dream-team of Jamaram and Jahcoustix have conquered the Red Stage and they are delivering a true firework of light and music After the initial Mama Told You and Belly Of The Beast and their "Make some noise for Reggae music!" is duly obeyed little surprises like the "freeze" break in Live Your Dream make the show interesting and engaging and the participation reaches its peak in Green Leaf during which everyone joins in a little choreo prepared by Mr In a great combination of talent and energy both Jahcoustix and Jamaram bring their best to this show – their style is not straight Reggae and the Polish audience is accordingly impressed combine Oriental and Slavic elements and make the crowd go wild once more as there are many tasty meals offered at the food area a type of long baguette with grilled mushroom and cheese that can be enjoyed with a variety of toppings I return to the Red Stage where Havana Meets Kingston just finished a quick soundcheck it's only four musicians on stage (out of the 70 or so that are part of the new album): Mista Savona himself on keys and effects Julito Padron on trumpet and vocals as well as Brenda Navarrete on vocals and percussion "It's our first time in Poland!" she informs us and then the four of them pull off a stage show that is as dynamic as it is impressive and my disappointment at the small size of the group evaporates at the fire she sparks off Not only is her vocal delivery in songs like Siempre Si or La Cancion on top this is both a sonic and a visual experience Mista Savona has some surprises in store as well presenting a new production with Brenda he's about to release (more on the EDM side) a spicy version of the Cimafunk combination Beat Con Flow and a Dub FX remix of Carnival they make the audience go wild with the well-known Cuban Chan Chan Complimenting Brenda on her exceptional style after the show she shrugs it off saying "These are crazy times a solid tent construction located directly at Ostróda' beautiful lake Jezioro Drwęckie Polish producer Dreadsquad puts on an energetic show His music reflects an innovative combination of Jamaican sounds with Jungle 1:30am Speaking of bass… the final act on the main stage today is Wicked Dub Division from Italy Singer Michela Grena keeps up a steady interaction with the people introducing and explaining some of the songs on their set but there would be no Dub without Reggae!" and continues to explain "One of our favorite Reggae bands is Misty In Roots and the next track is dedicated to them!" The combination of Michela's lucid powerful voice and the bass-heavy Steppa's style Dub created by GP Ennas (drums), King Claudio (bass) and Peak (dub effects) is intense and resonates well with the Polish audience who despite the late hour and the cold creeping in 3:43pm The Red Stage is opened by Krystian "K-Jah" Walczak and an hour of Reggae Edukacja He dips deep into his treasure chest of riddims and videos to talk about important contributors to the genre and although I'm not on festival grounds as yet I follow his explanations via the Livestream I stay put and do the same with the performances of the Polish bands Boleo & Follow The Riddim the sun comes out again and we are on our way to the live music a Polish Punk band is rocking the main stage and although it might seem misplaced at a Reggae festival it is actually a great fit and brings in diversity – and fun a mosh pit is created in front of the stage and visitors and staff alike jump in the circle Lila Iké and band arrive at the tents that are set up for the artists backstage and I wonder what they might think about the whole situation.Singer Krzysztof "Grabaz" Grabowski is an icon in the local scene and accordingly celebrated by the audience he sings about how we are still "sending our sons to war" and the bass player turns over his instrument during these words showing the Ukrainian flag that's attached to its back and holding it up for everyone to see The first artist I've seen on stage so far to express their solidarity with this war-ridden country 8:54pm Props for the team: moderator Mariusz announces a special moment and brings eight people on stage who make this festival happen: Maken and Piotr Kolaj but also artist manager Olivia "Lili" Musiatowicz as well as Zbigniew Michalak (mayor of Ostróda Town) and Bogusław Fijas (mayor of the Ostróda Community) Announced as special guests are the Jamaican delegation consisting of Desreine Taylor (Jamaican High Commission They all pass their greetings to the audience (some in Polish and the stage is then prepared for the next act resulting in a dish of delicious Polish Pierogi with a filling of cabbage and now I'm going to play you the second song I ever released!" With Gotti Gotti (followed by Biggest Fan the Jamaican artist and her band are in full effect she connects with the audience again and again introducing her songs with intimate insights ("The next song is called Piece Of Mind I wrote this when I was on a low in my life and needed solitude.") or calls-to-action: "If you are here with somebody you love I Spy, Wanted and Where I'm Coming From close her set the latter climaxing in some sudorific dancing on stage and Lila Iké's first ever solo show on Polish grounds can sure be considered a success she can be seen strolling the festival grounds with her band and tour manager Damalistik stopping at the food stalls to get a taste of the Polish kitchen she poses for photos or just talks to the people around and she definitely made some new fans here Mateusz Miller aka Radical Guru puts on some heavy Reggae and Dub pieces that invite for collective dancing madness His set was preceded by Jabbadub and will be followed by Roots Revival the Polish Reggae massive is visibly happy to welcome a son of the greatly revered Bob Marley in their country Julian satisfies the sing-along-desire of the people but he also presents own compositions such as Broken Sails The Uprising band that accompanies him on this tour is amazing Dave Richards (drums) as well as Raquel Stephenson and Rose-Anna Marie Douglas (backing vocals) set the right musical frame for this experience 00:24am Realizing that I haven't visited the Yellow Stage as yet the Pandadread Sound System at the controls is in full swing having fun with the two big stacks that are erected and pump the sound into our ears and although I don't understand much of what they sing about tells me later that he has a band project called Barwy formed during lockdown and eager to be heard 01:34am Damian Syjonfam closes the program on the main stage tonight The Polish singer/songwriter and his band of four is well liked by the audience who know the lyrics to several of his songs I join them in singing Fałszywy Doktor ('Fake Doctors') a track I played in the Poland-special of my radio show The Many States Of Reggae we follow the dispersing crowd to the Green Stage where Wicked And Bonny from Italy is playing but he is joined by some Polish vocalists who sing until the birds join them (by which time I'm in bed already) 1:22pm It's hard to believe that this is the last festival day already Determined to use this Sunday as best as possible listening to an interview with Michela Grena (frontwoman of Wicked Dub Division) She talks about her musical beginnings at a children's choir her education at the Jazz Conservatory and her falling in love with the sounds of Reggae and Dub Especially interesting are her anecdotes about the studio time spent with Wicked Dub Division and the North East Ska Jazz Orchestra – a new collaboration that resulted in the exciting album Live Studio Session #1 3:53pm A live session is also unfolding at the Red Stage Three bands are the finalists in the national Czwórka Reggae Contest: Blue Mahoe who bring Ska-infused movement to the stage The latter are announced the winners later on and can look forward to a live performance promotion on Radio Czwórka and a price 2,000 Złoty 6:28pm After Vito Bamino have finished their set there is a quick changeover for the following act Mesajah (actually but a Covid-case in the band prevented them from coming – speedy recovery to all those who are sick right now!) Mesajah and his band are perfectly prepared for this spontaneous commitment and their Marley-cover Belly Full draws a growing crowd two girls called the I Grades when they work solo and their voices add a sweet flavor to tracks like Powiedz Kim Byś Był ('Tell me who you would be') Guest MC Grzegorz "Wlazi" Wlaźlak (who also sings in a formation called Bethel) brings in further diversity and the whole show is a pleasure to watch and listen They are welcomed by Maken and Piotr personally and while they settle in and prepare for their show the Roots Heritage Band that will accompany them start unpacking their equipment (big up Gregory Emonet on guitar Pierre Chabrele on trombone as well as Sandra Oijagir and Linda Rey on backing vocals again!) and then I try to find a remedy for my cold feet Since there was another short but heavy rain-shower earlier on the main stage is constructed on a football field and the precious grass is covered with plastic mats to prevent it from damage – those mats have little wholes so that the moisture seeps through) but when I ask one that has knitted hats and scarfs and bags on display (I am well prepared asking for 'skarpety' which means socks in Polish) rummages through his car and comes back with a pack of colorful skarpety When I ask him how much he wants me to pay I decided to include this story in the report because this incident captures the spirit of most people here: helpful 8:57pm Contrary to their show at Summerjam in Cologne last week Xana Romeo starts the set with a couple of her own songs Rate Rasta and Africa Is Calling among them (the latter from her recently released album The Roots of X) She then hands it over to her eagerly awaited father Max Romeo who gets a big forward when entering the stage He performs Back To The Bible and a Ska-version of Time Bomb then inviting his son Azizzi Romeo on stage for two tracks What the audience has been waiting for are his influential tunes Three Blind Mice creates the biggest stir: Jamaican Ska is known in these parts as the popular female group Alibabki has published their version Wash Wash Ska already back in 1965!  11:08pm Skipping the energetic Tabu performance I dive into a different kind of energy for the next hour K-Jah Sound (who was supposed to play alongside Micah Shemaiah but a personal tragedy prevented him from coming) is presenting some of his beautiful productions neither taking notes nor pictures nor videos To those who have never seen a Joint Venture performance before the guy in a priest's robe who wears a dinosaur's mask for one track and speaks through a megaphone in the next might seem a bit disconcerting but that's just the Alter Ego of festival co-organizer Maken Dub FX has started his show with considerable delay (none of which is his fault!) Powerful tunes like Love Me Or Not and Fake Paradise put us in a trance especially in combination with the symmetric visuals in the background  The crowd goes mad when the artist starts beatboxing weaving his voice in different layers with a Loop Machine until it's a full song "For the Drum'n'Bass lovers!" he says when he introduces the next song making people jump in the slight drizzle that has begun to fall When he closes the stage for the night (and the festival) the only stop left to take is the Green Stage once more where Vibronics and Joseph Lalibela from the UK turn the remaining energies of the people into dance my colleague Karsten Frehe (irieites.de) and I follow the lake shore and listen to the fading sounds behind us I mentally pass this formidable festival in review in my mind and although I didn't catch everything going on I trust that this report gave you a little impression of what this event is all about I want to express my utmost respect to the Ostróda Reggae Festival crew who have managed to pull it all through – again and the true spirit of this year's motto have contributed to a wonderful weekend and we hope to spread the message to the world: Peace & Love WATCH THE LIVE STREAMS HERE! 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Further information on cookies can be found in our privacy policy Radisson Hotel Group announced an agreement with Polish hotel investor Europlan for a new Radisson Blu resort in Poland a district known as the ‘land of a thousand lakes’ Ostroda Mazury Lakes offers the ultimate resort experience with its own marina and water park The new property brings the group´s portfolio in Poland to 19 properties across five brands – including Radisson Collection Radisson and Park Inn by Radisson – and will strengthen the group´s position as the largest international operator for leisure destinations in Poland Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer said: “Radisson Blu remains the largest upper upscale brand in Europe We thank our partners for their trust and confidence and look forward to accelerating our expansion journey in Poland; creating opportunities to our guests “We’re very happy to be able to revive the construction of this great hotel project located amongst the picturesque scenery of Mazury Lakes We’re looking forward to successfully cooperating with Radisson Hotel Group which is both an experienced hotel operator in Poland and a renowned global brand We’re convinced that the hotel and its facilities will attract many leisure and MICE customers and will become a landmark destination at Mazury Lakes,” added Artur Kozieja the Radisson Blu Resort in Ostroda – Poland’s ninth Radisson Blu hotel – will perfectly complement Radisson Hotel Group’s array of mountain and beach resorts across Poland The new-build hotel will feature 240 rooms and suites as well as a lobby bar and one all-day dining restaurant Guests will be able to enjoy a compact water park including an indoor and outdoor swimming pool the Radisson Blu Resort in Ostroda Mazury Lakes will offer 2,600sqm of space set across a ballroom seven meeting rooms and a separate area that can be used as a foyer or a function space there will be plenty of travel options – including direct train connections and major road links to Warsaw and Gdańsk International Airport Olsztyn Masuria is situated 38km from the city Click here to join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest hotel news and trends Copyright © Hotel News Resource & Nevistas | All rights reserved Museum of OstródaNo markings specify where the coins were minted but it’s clear by the Latin inscriptions and cross in the center they hail from the Carolingian Empire Archaeologists in the Polish town of Biskupiec have just uncovered 118 silver coins from the ninth century Minted by King Charlemagne’s Carolingian Empire only three such coins have ever been found in Poland before Some believe this latest trove was ransom payment — to stop a Viking horde from sacking Paris The coins in question are rather distinct, according to LiveScience With a crucifix adorning their centers and Latin inscriptions on the perimeter it’s clear they hailed from the empire of Frankish King Charles the Great and most importantly — much of modern-day France With the coins dated to 1,200 years ago, their minting predated the Siege of Paris in 845 A.D., according to Academia That historic event not only occurred during the Carolingian Empire’s rule across eighth and ninth centuries but marked the first example of “Danegeld” — payment to pilfering Vikings in exchange for safety “If a larger number of the coins can be attributed to Paris it is possible — and some have already been attributed to Paris,” said University of Warsaw archaeologist and coin expert Mateusz Bogucki “[But] it is way too early to give such an interpretation.” Museum of OstródaThe coins were put on display in mid-May but are still being researched by experts All 118 of these coins were minted under the Carolingian Empire Experts have since attributed 117 of them to Charlemagne’s successors King Louis the Pious who reigned from 814 to 840 A.D and one to King Charles the Bald who ruled until 877 A.D It’s still unclear what year exactly the coins were used What is clear is that their discovery was made during excavations in November 2020 and March 2021 After receiving permission from the local government to comb the Biskupiec farm experts with metal detectors found the first handful of coins — and kept it secret until officials from the Museum of Ostróda were notified By March 2021, Museum of Ostróda archaeologist Lukasz Szczepański and his team unearthed the rest. He explained that the find was certainly unusual unusual, according to Science in Poland While only three individual coins were found in the past it is curious where that particular find was made Two of those three individual coins were attributed to King Louis the Pious and were unearthed in Truso That particular site was a Viking trading post — and lay only 60 miles from the Biskupiec site that yielded the recent batch of 118 silver coins Experts are now trying to assess who buried them and what they paid for Museum of Ostróda117 coins were attributed to King Louis the Pious Bogucki explained that the first medieval Polish kingdom hadn’t even existed when these 118 coins were lost or buried The predominant silver in the region at the time was Arabian as Slavic tribes littered the region and used money to buy slaves from Muslim traders Bogucki believes the coins in question where obtained in Truso He also said it’s likely that the coins were on their to Truso in order to buy some of those goods or people No marks on the coins specify where they were minted with only the Latin inscriptions of any use One of the current theories being bandied about by experts is that these coins originated from Truso and were used as ransom payment by King Charles the Bald to Vikings whose raid on Paris was underway It wasn’t uncommon for Norse raiders to sack the Frankish heartlands Much of our understanding of that incident in 845 A.D stems from historical records compiled by monks Bogucki explained that Charles the Bald reportedly paid the Vikings 7,000 livres (more than five tons of silver and gold) to satisfy their need of invasion — and that the 118 coins from Biskupiec were part of that Museum of OstródaExperts believe the coins were either used to buy goods from Vikings or as ransom to keep them from invading Paris “The functioning of the settlement in Truso and the related activity of the Vikings is currently the most readable clue that may indicate how the treasure reached the territory of ancient Prussia,” said Szczepański we notice a clear increase in the threat posed by the Vikings taking part in the invasions of Western Europe the Scandinavians are activating trade in the Baltic zone.” The historic treasure has already been seen by some of the public The coins were put on display in the Museum of Ostróda a few weeks ago Their goal remains to analyze the remarkable find and attempt to answer the questions remaining about its provenance After reading about the 118 silver coins unearthed in Poland, learn about the stolen Nazi silver found buried at a 14th-century castle. Then, read about 32 Viking facts that reveal one of history’s most misunderstood civilizations 07/11/2018 by Gardy Stein July 5th 2018 8:55 pm Amfiteatr: Piter and Maken (festival organizers)It's been a good first day our festival visitors keep arriving and all bands and musicians so far have made it on time Junior Stress has just delivered a fantastic set We use the change-over break to talk to Agata and Wojtek the couple that got married at Ostróda in 2015 and is widely known in Poland for their Rolki Reggae Rajd they have travelled more than a thousand (!) kilometres during the last two weeks to raise money for Staś and Kuba they are dancing and skanking away with everybody else at the Amfiteatr to the beats of the music we love July 6th 2018After yesterday's kick-off at Ostróda's Amfiteatr close to the beautiful lake today the festival proper starts at the old army base in the middle of the town Our festival report will present to you the happenings from different points of view: from visitor to artist as every single person contributes his or her share to the success of this huge event Ostróda City Coucil: Genevor Gordon-Bailey (Councillor @ St Ann Municipal Corporation)Our Jamaican delegation (consisting of Ocho Rios' Mayor Michael Melnavis CEO Rovel Morris and myself) is received with great honours by the mayor of Ostróda and we are proud to be part of it - from now on the cities of Ostróda and Ocho Rios are official twin towns and we are looking forward to be taken to the festival grounds by Miros ław "Maken" Dzieciołowski and Piotr Kolaj likkle more Amfiteatr: Bartosz Wójcik (host of the Reggae University)As every year we incorporated interesting background info into the festival program so that people can educate themselves about the rich history and current diversity of this lively genre Paweł "Konjo" Konnak's film project "Exodus singer and band founder who passed away earlier this year has done a lot to promote Reggae in Poland and both his presentation here and the mural dedicated to him at the new festival grounds is an appropriate ode to him Red Stage control tower: Gardy (Reggaeville)It feels so good to be back here to greet our Polish colleagues and friends who feel like family Since the festival had to be moved to a slightly different location (as the old army field where it used to be is turned into real estate) I take a stroll first to know what is where I arrived in time to see the last few songs of a rather unspectacular Polish band called Django a project consisting of six musicians and the singer Kasia Malenda as well as initiator producer and musical director Marek Bogdanski I watch him nod to himself in time to the beat pressing and turning buttons in the control tower opposite of the main stage Maken tells me that it's their first time to play in Ostróda in this formation and that Marek was a bit nervous everything works out fine and I enjoy the musicianship even though the vocal diversity so present in Dreadsquad 's last two releases The Riddim Machine Vol 2 & 3 is a bit lost with only one singer on stage foam bubble mountain next to the Red Stage: random childYes yes yes I can't see much in here but it feels so great the sun makes the bubbles sparkle so prettily in all the colours of the rainbow Green Stage: Malik Singledread (Stage Coordinator)The Red Stage is dead Seems like they are having some major technical difficulties Damian Syjonfam startet his set there all right but they decided to interrupt the program to fix the problem - that was almost an hour ago a lot of people came over from the Red Stage to check us out who are rapping to a lively mix of Reggae and Dancehall riddims right now have quite a crowd Backstage Red Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)The Red Stage is still down Amazing how calm and friendly everybody stays - at any other given location it doesn't seem as bad now that Jesse Royal cancelled his performance last minute as this would have added a considerable amount of stress I try the vegan catering (excellent!) and watch Mesajah who strolls around and takes pictures with or signs autographs for fans Solo Banton and Deadly Hunta have just arrived as well Green Stage: Krystian "K-Jah" Walczak (producer & DJ)Rapha Pico is really mashing up the place but it's great to see them party to the music we play Especially his single called Solid Ground and our track Journey seems to please them and I can't wait to finish the mixing and mastering and release it my upcoming project with Danny Creatah from Holland is one to look out for - the World A Reggae riddim will come with a compilation featuring the likes of Luciano After almost an hour of singing tracks in English and Polish my homie Dawid Albaaj handed over the mic to Rapha A few other talents are lined up to take over but this guy in the blue shirt is clearly too drunk to sing.. Red Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)The massive is celebrating loudly the return of sound and power to the Red Stage and Damian Syjonfam and band are back in full swing Especially the younger generation sings along to his songs word by word and the likeable singer knows how to entertain them for sure A special applause is reserved for the young man he introduces for one song - it's his son Dawid Skoczylas a youth of 17 and a budding talent for sure I'm told that Damian is a very family-oriented artist having established the label One Fam together with his wife Magda The first album to be released there is the self-produced Czuj ę W ięc J estem which is premiered right here Red Stage Control Tower: Damien (light technician of Dub Inc)Here we go What a great stage to work with - this festival really invested in the lights and visuals The darkness adds to the dramatic effects of the illuminations I will now fade all the colours and leave on the white light only to prepare for the track Maché Bécif it's about time I do - and their performance leaves me deeply impressed The band plays tight and the two singers Hakim "Bouchkour" Meridja and Aurélien "Komlan" Zohou hold the spectators in a tight grip of fascination Most of the songs presented are from their new release So What and both the exotic beauty of Bouchkour 's arabic passages and the burning topicality of refugee- dedicated lyrics like Exil add to the success of their fourth visit to Ostróda A special moment is the guest appearance of Solo Banton who has prepared a full set on the Green Stage likkle more Green Stage: Malik Singledread (Stage Coordinator)Bay-C is performing his last song He has just called his little son Amani on stage the audience gave him a huge round of applause all the same the artist's new song Don't Get Gassed on the Pool Night Riddim is duly celebrated Some people who arrive now complain that they missed his show but since the set of Bakshish Soundsystem was over faster than intended and Bay-C can be seen again at the Regalowisko Festival on August 11th Red Stage: Maken (one of the festival organizers)With Piotr Strojnowski songwriter and founder of the legendary band Daab is now working on his solo career with his new band-project Strojnowy enriching the Polish Reggae scene with clever short nights - the exceptional rhythm of festival life can be felt in Ostróda as well After an amzing Friday that has already filled me to the brim with impressions I'm ready for whatever Saturday has to bring The presence of veteran singer Norman Grant lures me out of bed and into Reggae University where the documentary Nad Wysoko ści ('Above Heights') by Tadeusz Pałka is screened a film that accompanies the unlikely encounter of the Twinkle Brothers and Trebunie Tutki from the Polish Highlands Amfiteatr: Bartosz Wójcik (host of the Reggae University)32 years ago the Twinkle Brother Norman Grant met Polish journalist and producer Włodzimierz Kleszcz in London hearing from him about a traditional family band called Trebunie Tutki living in a remote hills area of Poland as he himself comes from the equally remote Blue Mountains in Jamaica a first visit between the two artist families was arranged this meeting resulted in a genre-transcending album called Twinkle Inna Polish Stylee - Higher Heights I am honoured and excited to have all these players in my conference today and the discussion following the film will certainly be a fruitful one Red Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)From conference to concert: while the official program starts at 4 pm with 27 Pablo 's presentation on the history of Dancehall the main stage is presently occupied by the Czwórka Reggae Contest finals Five bands present themselves to a jury consisting of Polish media representatives most of them in one way or other connected to the Radio station Czwórka I missed the first two (Johny Rockers and Kompanija) but am able to follow the 30-minute shows of Pulse Generation great musicians who know what they are doing well capable of transporting the grooving Reggae vibes and I am glad that I don't have to decide for one of them Children's Corner: Bay-C (of T.O.K) & familyThis festival is simply amazing Not only do they care well for their artists (the airport- pick-up was on time the shuttle service between festival grounds and hotel works smoothly but they also think about the children of the visitors we were participating in an all-age Capoeira Workshop at the Pier we are chilling in an area sufficiently removed from the main stage to offer some quiet and Amani tries all the activities in that order so I can actually sit down and have a coffee - great Moonshine Records)It's a joy to hear Shashamane perform - I think it's their first time ever playing live in Ostróda The sunshine invites people to stroll around and check the stalls and I have sold quite some records already Great to see that vinyl is in such high demand again Even though most customers are from Poland Our Ostróda Reggae Festival is indeed growing crowd infront of Red Stage: Maken (one of the festival organizers)Vavamuffin is on The mood is boiling over as the band invites people to celebrate their 15th anniversary with them - and celebrating they do Reggaenerator) heat up affairs considerably making everyone jump and sing along in unison and even our foreign visitors start moving to the infectious beat Reggaenerator jumps from the stage to plant a big kiss on Maja's cheek the blind girl who's been coming here every year with her family and who Another interesting fact: singer Pablopavo is not only part of Vavamuffin 's line-up but also a successful author who's just won a Polish literature price for his collection of short stories we announce the winners of the Czwórka Reggae Contest Johny Rockers and Green Roots will share the first price (a Single production and a live performance in my Radio Show) - congratulations photopit infront of Red Stage: Karsten (Irieites)Finally the cucumber I bought today finds its destiny: while Macka B intones his viral hit Cucumba I hold up the vegetable as high as I can to claps of applause from the people behind me The UK artist is certainly one of the highlights of the festival and the Roots Ragga Band accompanying him does a great job of making the audience dance The program matches closely their performance in Hamburg a few weeks back and hits like Everybody Loves Bob Marley or Never Played A 45 are received as well here as they were back home I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's Reggae University where Macka B will be available for questions and comments passage from Red Stage to Green Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)Winding my way through the crowd hundreds of dancing and singing people and two guys dressed in an army-print business suit having just finished their set at the Green Stage where Sensithief now celebrates his 10th anniversary I position myself in what I think is a strategically good location to document the 20th anniversary of Poland's famous Dancehall Masak-Rah which is about to start in a few minutes (in case you are long-time followers of Reggaeville you might remember the overwhelming impression this soundsystem has left on me during my first visit here back in 2015) MC 27 Pablo makes the ram-packed tent sing along to Don't Worry before my strategic position turns out to not hold the cumulative power of the Soundsystem's trademark Wipeout riddim The madness continues until I manage to break away in order to witness yet another jubilee.. Red Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)30 years of Twinkle Brothers & Trebunie Tutki Entering the spheric bubble that's expanding from the Red Stage is like entering a different world Not only the splendidly arranged lights and the artful visuals by VJ Mayonez contribute to this enchantment We all know that the Twinkle Brothers are masters of their craft the family group Trebunie Tutki is none less capable of bringing a musical magic across that's a marriage which has been made in heaven It's a good thing that this morning's documentary has prepared me a bit for what to expect my mind is blown away and tears well in my eyes due to the beauty of these moments as Norman Grant put it this morning: "We just go where the music takes us Green Stage: Malik Singledread (Green Stage Coordinator DJ & producer)The tent is still burning from Dancehall Masak-Rah's show Not only have our Dancehall Queens been dancing for a while now but also the tunes the soundbwoys play are pure fire Jamaican producer Jazzwad joins them to spin a few of his riddims It won't be easy for Bob One and Bas Tajpan the audience is ever changing and new people with fresh dancing vibes arrive every few minutes Red Stage: Dawid Albaaj (singer)I've heard so much about EarthKry that I'm happy to finally being able to see them When their soundcheck is done (there seemed to be a problem with Aldayne's guitar) and they strike the first notes of their song 9 To 5 I'm convinced that they are all I've been told: talented Some of their tracks remind me strongly of Bob Marley tunes it brings a nice soothing vibe to this day that was full of excitement The liquid sunshine that is a blessing for Ostróda's thirsty nature is not quite as nice for EarthKry as many people leave the open field infront of the Red Stage to look for shelter from the rain and I'm not the only one: at least 100 people stay to watch on this concert will certainly be as unforgettable as it is for me Yellow Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville)I have to admit that the Yellow Stage has been neglected by me so far a cool Jam Session between Experimental Soundsystem and Czwórka Reggae Contest winner Green Roots is on sending me home on some nice acoustic vibes while Splendid Sound is still rocking the Green Stage and I can't believe that tomorrow is already the last day Not for the first time I wish that I could stop or at least slow down the clock ticking away so mercilessly but then again there's so many things to look forward to.. I'm delighted to see Phillip McFarlane (keyboarder @ EarthKry) on one of the tables and over naleśniki (pancakes) and kawa z mlekem (coffee with milk) we enjoy a few quiet minutes of conversation and I follow my colleague Karsten Frehe and his brave cucumber to the Amfiteatr once more where the "lyrical chef" aka Macka B will talk about life Amfiteatr: Bartosz Wójcik (host of the Reggae University) Our last project this year is the presentation of the documentary Sound system by Sébastien Carayol and Katie Callan a film that was shown on arte a few months ago and thus brought a lot of people in touch with this international music culture ulica Mickiewicza 8/18: Gardy (Reggaeville) You just can't be in Ostróda and not at least once eat here I give in to my body's yearning for a bit more sleep in order to prepare for this long last night Red Stage: Kuba (Reggaeville photographer) I think I've seen them perform last year already (or was it the year before that?) the photopit is empty and I can even climb the stage to get some good shots at the two singers and the 6 musicians on stage There are more than 2.000 pics on my card already and I can't wait to get back home and start working on them Best thing from a photographer's point of view are the magnificient lights here - darkness Sales Booths: Lusia (shirt & jewelry vendor) Our stall is all set up and ready for the last day takes a break to check out Lonely Tree Sound on the Yellow Stage and I crane my neck to get a glimpse of the band on stage I follow the Tribute to Alibabki in full swing now With a powerful band at it's core (most of the musicians hail from The Bartenders) this project invites different artists on stage who interprete some of the greatest hits of the all-female Polish group Alibabki They have been instrumental in spreading so far unheard musical styles in Poland (Ska Big Beat etc.) and were the first to break ground for this genre with their record Jamajca Ska released back in 1965 We are immersed in the sounds of Damian Syjonfam (Obladi Oblada) to the delight of the crowd who dances in sunlight and soap bubbles all the artists together with Wash Wash Ska the Ska vibe is carried on by the Jah Love Soundsystem who are playing My Boy Lollipop and other tracks and I take the chance to make a trip to the Press Office to see if Kuba has any nice pictures for our Instagram channel VIP section infront of Red Stage: Genevor Gordon-Bailey (Councillor @ St I can't remember when I've last seen Chris Martin live This whole trip was such a positive experience I think the twinning of Ostróda and Ocho Rios will enanble us to have many such experiences in the future today we were supposed to visit an old castle somewhere around here but we just decided to go to the festival again instead don't let me cheat on my girlfriend!" Our CEO Rovel Morris keeps taking pics and videos of us singing and dancing along to Chris' beautiful songs A guest appearance of D Major and his deep-voiced Real Know Real adds to the vibes backstage Green Stage: Gardy (Reggaeville) With a delicious portion of frytki (french fries) I join the people chilling behind the Green Stage where Jabbadub and Barecki just took over from Subroot wooded and relatively quiet spot (as quiet as it can be behind the massive 32KW speakers of Dubseed's Soundsystem) and in the gathering twilight a woman gently rocks her baby to sleep she calls a friend to watch him and grabs the mic to deliver a few tunes as Rastamama That's one of the many things I love about this festival - everyone and everything is so child-friendly Danman reaches the stage and joins Jaszol on the Roots Revival turntables at once to take over the mic a bird got caught in the engine and they had to turn back again to change the plane now he is here and rocks the hungry crowd.  crowd in front of Red Stage: random festival visitor Everyone is singing and dancing along to Tabu a powerful combination of ten musicians that combine Ska elements and Balkan beats in their music I jump to the beat and marvel at the beauty of the melodies strewn in by the brass section 08/13/2017 by Gardy Stein as the morning starts with a heavy storm hitting the beautiful Polish landscape of Masuria when Lars uses the last raindrops for a photo session with Stephen "Lightning" Newland where the unpronouncable band Bezjahzgh open the stage at 4pm is a pleasant stroll on Ostróda's bustling lake promenade Singer Grzegorz Wlaźlak is in constant interaction with both his band members and the audience and from the secure ease of their delivery the 400+ concerts that they have already played since their formation in 2006 becomes obvious Even though I have not become fluent in Polish since last year and Jedna Miłość is the equivalent of "One Love" Special mention deserve the cool ruler on bass the band ends their energetic set with a synchronized jump that is carried forward through the audience and the mood is thus set right for the performance of Chonabibe who are up next.7:12pmTo the backdrop of a song called Wolność (Freedom) we meet with the Irieites Soundystem Crew who just arrived at the Pier we show them the ropes of this festival's runnings The glowing orange sun promises a pretty sunset so we stay on and watch the tireless water-skiers gliding more or less gracefully over the lake.8:47pmThe sweet reverberating sound of a masterfully played bass lures me back to the stage where singer Damian SyjonFam is in full swing presenting a critical song about the much-debated immigration and refugee issue We've seen the likeable singer on an early slot on the main stage last year but the lights illuminating the gathering darkness in the Amfiteatr as well as VJ Mayonez' wonderful visuals (including a flock of grazing deer) provide a much more intimate but it's the combination with the skilful delivery of the band D'Roots Brothers (founded by bassie Daniel Słomińscy and his brother Jonasz) which creates my first magic moment 9:26pmLost in a slightly swaying reverie while listening to an acoustic encore I am jerked awake by Karsten who tells me to follow him and Olivia Lili Musiatowicz for a little surprise Lili takes us through the surprisingly ample belly of the Amfiteatr to a room where tubes and heating pipes meet and squeezed in between all of this are 7 or 8 people on mics and instruments: Jafia and band practicing with Stephen Newland for their joint show We quietly tune in to their last two tracks and are joined by the youngest members of New Kingston get ready for tomorrow!10:05pmWhile moderator Mario Korpol talks to the crowd I am told by three people in a row that the next act GrubSon is a real highlight I attentively follow the unfolding light show that dips us in flashing red and blue lights to the howling sound of a siren Sudden movement from behind makes me turn around and it takes a moment until I realize that it's the two MCs GrubSon and Jarecki walking through the crowd with mic in hand they completely de- and re-construct genres like Reggae showering us with a blur of lights and words and movement DJ BRK (who performs some wicked live-scratching-action on his turntables) pics up the mic as well the three of them rocking the maximum capacity crowd together with the amazing Sanepid Band What did drummer Michał "Malina" Maliński do to his cymbals and I'm not quite sure whether it's decoration only or relevant for the crazy sounds he produces including circus elements like juggling (again the drummer attracts all attention) and vocal excursions into African chorals and I just loooove how almost every band finds a way to include slavic musical patterns in their set tells me that their next song became a hit in Poland and has already reached millions of clicks "We will meet on top of the hill" is a rough translation of the obviously intricate and intelligent lyrics these words ending this fantastic concert accompany our way to a spot I've never been to before...00:28amJah Love Soundsystem It almost seems as if we penetrate the festival deeper each year In a place that appears to be a holiday-camp-village of some sort two big speaker stacks have been set up in a big wooden barn making it easy to follow the booming bass to its source I will give in to the rising dancing fever and resume the report tomorrow for making us feel instantly at home again Friday - August 11th 2017 Fire & Wind Summertime The city of Ostróda is baking under a hot August sun and the fountain on the lake-shore is a welcome possibility to cool down and at noon the Reggae University at the Amfiteatr provides not only that but also an exhibition of the finals of an International Reggae Poster Contest hosted by Maria Papaefstathiou from Greece A first movie is shown there as well (The Traveller we face a day full of musical fire.4:23pmMarcin "Silverdread" Pospiszyl holds a lecture about the Roots of Reggae music at the main stage Songs like Soul Rebel and Stepping Razor follow his introductory foundation and even though I don't understand all of what he says it's a fine way of starting the second day of the ORF 5:46pmDuring the performance of Cała Góra Barwinków (a group of 9 in fancy jackets and pink ties) I take a stroll around the festival area which has changed a bit Since the old Army Grounds are starting to be sold for house building sites the press center as well as the kid's area had to be moved Stalls and food stands are still where they were with the pitiable exception of the fine Mexican Quesadilla stand we were so fond of last year While Andrzej Czaplinsk has started his foam cannon building bubbly castles for a delighted crowd we pause for diner at the vegan backstage catering and prepare for a dose of Jam-Pol collaboration my sister's unicorn fell behind the speaker box!" is what the young lady in front of me has probably told the security something was flying from the crowd a moment ago and it turns out to be a cuddly unicorn toy which the security guy smilingly hands to the waiting girl Turning back my attention to the happenings on stage Stephen Newland performs a set from a few Ganja tracks over a Bob Marley cover (Rastaman Vibration) and songs taken from his upcoming release Thunderground to an acoustic Nyabinghi rendition of the Conquering Lion who will break every chain The band behind him is not Rootz Underground 7:50pmPolish Reggae Foundation Bakshish are up next a touching love song that describes how he waits for that special someone "every day and every night" The band celebrated their 35th anniversary this year playing an amazing concert with a classic orchestra at the Amfiteatr last month the Irie Ites Soundsystem crew has just taken over from Ras Bass Toppa and Micha play a mix of own productions and popular tunes while MCs Baba Message and Zeb heat up the crowd This band of four is a father-son-combination which came into being thanks to Courtney Panton With songs like Key To Life or some tracks taken from their upcoming album Come From Far they present a different type of Reggae Music obviously making a good impression on the Polish crowd While keyboarder Tahir takes over Daddy's bass Courtney senior picks up a Djembe and then joins Courtney Jr on drums as hundreds of hands clap along - vibes!11:56pm"Rally round the flag gold black and green!" A band founded in 1975 and no bit quiet - Steel Pulse Even though only David Hinds and Selwyn Brown remain from the original set-up the additional members make for an exquisite sound and the specially designed visuals of VJ Mayonez unfold their magic on the square LED-screens arranged rhombically to give a 3-D-impression Songs like Babylon Makes The Rules or Bodyguard float through the night air and Taxi Driver from their 1991 album Victims becomes a theatrical show that involves the whole band 12:39amA sudden strong wind that is blinding with the dust and sand it carries drives me to the Green Stage once more where K-Jah Sound along with Denham Smith and Ras Jah High I are just finishing a fiery set becomes one of the surprise highlights of the day - Nucleus Roots from the UK Simon Dan and Moses) perform own compositions as well as covers in perfect vocal harmony and especially their sweet rendition of Picture On The Wall and John Holt's Man Next Door explode with shouts and applause from the considerable crowd present Make sure you check their upcoming production!2:02am The day is coming to a perfect close with Poland's own Paprika Korps a band that has a much more raw and electronic take on music Her voice accompanies me to the Yellow Stage where I find half of the Irie Ites Crew rocking to the sounds of Krzyki HiFi and Rising Vibes and it is here I better end the reporting for tonight Dobry noc!Saturday - August 12th 2017 Water & Earth Grey skies and a drizzly rain accompany my tired self to the breakfast-table After some basic vital functions have been restored with a strong coffee I meet the New Kingston sons and Stephen Newland in the Hotel hall with a mission to bring them to the movie screening at the Amfiteatr Delayed by (mostly female) fans who ask for a picture we arrive in the middle of Karsten Frehe's lecture about Reggae in Germany a presentation that covers the development of the genre and its German embassadors during the last three decades and Jonas Schaul (co-producer of the movie the "other half" Oliver Becker being absent) proudly tells us that the film has been nominated at three different festivals as best documentary Jonas and Stephen Newland start an intense discussion about living conditions We are then on our way to the main festival area - let's see what Saturn has in store for us on this Saturn-day!4:39pm First it is Maken's turn to talk about the history of Dub music and we are led through the fascinating world of delayed echoed and contorted sound frequencies of Jah Shaka His presentation is followed by a musically intense but vocally rather poor performance of The Rockas a multi-national group that formed in 2008 in Gdańsk Damian SyjonFam and Mesajah sit next to us and start practicing the Redemption Song No doubt they prepare for the performance up next a collaboration of Polish artists around the Riddim Bandits born two years ago in Wroclaw: Tribute To Bob Marley they present their own versions of Bob Marley classics and the growing crowd is obviously enjoying these covers 7:32pmA surprise addition to the team of moderators is Grzegorz Halama When he is not on stage announcing artists or bridging the change-overs he walks around shaking hands with everyone from artist to festival visitor to security personnel Dub and Electro which is obviously called Pacific Soul - if you know what a mix of Fat Freddy's Drop and Black Seeds would sound like Their track Keep The Waters Running (luckily the weather is not obeying) accompanies me to the Green Stage where a next highlight is getting ready to appear 8:20pmWith a boom-box and a flag displaying their well-known logo the Dancehall Masak-Rah crew circle the festival grounds to collect people for their show they open their set to a hall filled with an expectant crowd the bar lady shares out countless shots of vodka the Ukku Bit DivAss show sexy dance moves and 27Pablo as well as founding member Junior Stress and guest MC Diego Cichy Don heat up the mood to a boil 08/13/2016 by Gardy Stein preparations in full swing - it's Reggae Festival time again in Ostroda While sharing as many festival impressions with you as possible we will also equip you with a few Polish words and sentences so that in case you ever make it to this beautiful country you can take a first step towards its friendly inhabitants at breakfast: next to our table sits Jarek "Hejen" Hejenkowski we are granted a rare "work-in-progress" view and witness first-hand the enormous efforts of the construction crew Activity is most dense around the Red Stage (the main stage as of tomorrow) but also stalls and food corners are being set up nothing is to be seen of the Yellow Stage as yet and as I stroll around inspecting the area I'm greeted by Walt aka DJ Earthpipe from the UK who will play here Saturday night Together we take a look at a half-hidden bunker which might have served as an airplane hangar (the whole festival area belonged to the army once) and we agree that this hall would be perfect to hold Dances Let music take over the theatres of war!  so I decide to take a stroll through the city ('miasto') Some eager festival visitors have already gathered at the gates waiting for the vast Camping grounds to open - around 10.000 people are expected per day That's the reason why the festival had to move from an inner city area to its present-day location: Reggae is big in Poland A look at today's schedule confirms this fact as seven bands from Poland will rock the Amfiteatr located directly at the sea shore The Bartenders are about to do their soundcheck Lead singer Kuba hands me a copy of their hot-off-the-press album Poles Are Movin' and what can be heard on stage sounds promising enough to look forward to their show later tonight.  First things first: after a delicious meal at the recently opened vegetarian restaurant in town we arrive in time to see Wolni Ludzie who act as openers at 3 pm the International Declaration of Human Rights flickers over the screen bearing the distinctive handwriting of VJ Majonez (who already left a lasting impression last year) one of the festival organizers who seems to know everything tells me that the 8-headed group on stage won the Reggaeland Contest in Plock this year and can be seen as Polish newcomers Likewise fresh on the scene is the next band Dobra Sila ("Good Force") introducing their melodious compositions that somehow remind me of Beres Hammond to the slowly growing crowd.  the Freakin Rudeboys seem to be better known - they have fans who even carry a self-made banner with their name through the crowd More fans gather for the next band: the KoNoPiAnS are on a tour celebrating their 20th anniversary Lead singer Marcin 'Cozer' Markiewicz is a charismatic person who knows exactly how to commuicate with the people present he masters the threefold challenge of singing using a megaphone and playing trumpet in the well-composed instrumental harmonies of their songs The tempo of the music is considerably increased causing large portions of the audience to move along with the beat - an effective countermeasure against the temparatures that drop to 11 degree Celsius Good thing that The Bartenders keep the speed up appearing in fine style with black suits and white shirts They play an infectious mix of what they call Ska-Jazz and the nine musicians on stage (of which the lady playing keyboard is a special eye-catcher) are a joy to watch and hear.  14.08.2016A few cups 'kawa z mlekiem' (coffee with milk) some 'chleb' (bread) and 'ser' (cheese) and a bit of 'owoce' - the solid 'sniadanie' (breakfast) provided and a 'prysznic' (shower) make us fit for the final day of the ORF After the concert and drum workshop that was happening here yesterday with the band Foliba Jah9 takes over the pier today for a class of "Yoga On Dub" While Yoga can be considered almost a part of the new steamers- and incense-flavoured Reggae culture in Kingston and the limited places available were booked out minutes after the offer had been put online 42 participants have the pleasure to breath stretch and pose to the certified instructions of the singer is invited as a guest speaker to the Reggae University as well.At that point we are already on our way to the festival area because the World Reggae Contest is about to take off author and part of the Jury who will decide on the winner Other Jury members are logged in via the life-stream that's being set up and since everyone here is a professional in what he or she is doing everything works out fine and the program starts without delay at 3 pm explain in advance that 81 contestants entered from 31 countries simmering down to the 5 finalists that fill the backstage area now Upon Quartiere Coffee fell the hard task to start They have a natural feel - lead singer Filippo "Rootman" Fratangeli is a poised confident performer who might not hit all notes properly but this roughness adds to the down-to-earth impression they give Their efforts to include the audience with claps and sing-along are obsolete since only a few early birds are sprinkled in front of the stage Their number increases slightly when the next band they represent what I came to understand as a typical band set-up: nine musicians fill the stage Of course they start with the bonus of being known to the locals and the usage of their mothertongue in their lyrics is an authentic expression of their identity something that I have missed with the previous band A special feature is their double portion of frontmen: Golas and JaRas dive into a dynamic performance and keep energies high until the last note interacting perfectly with the rest of the band who juggles three guitars and a sampler alternately join in the movement - fire!The appearance of next band has been anticipated since their arrival in Poland has won the hearts of the people here in no time and certainly belong the most-photographed motives of this festival Partly responsible fo the design is their manager who right now walks through the crowd to distribute little Jamaican flags but also in delivery: starting with an ambitious medley that ends in a version of Dennis Brown's Promised Land they present a mix of their own creations like Critically Low or Island Girl (during which the bass player suddenly makes the splits) and cover songs ranging from Simmer Down over a beautiful rendition of Jah Is My Keeper (Peter Tosh) to a final One Love choir with the people Rapha Pico and The Roots Rockers are now taking the stage The band which includes Rapha's Dad on bass is great their instrumental expertise most obvious in the dubwise-parts of the songs Rapha himself picks up the guitar and joins in spreading World Wide Love and covering Black Uhuru Despite the solid delivery and clean vocals the singer somehow doesn't really seem to connect to the crowd Maybe his current cooperation with local producer K-Jah will bring his music to recognition here so he can be properly received next time!By 7 pm the last finalists are ready to perform: The Dubbeez from Amsterdam Four musicians on stage start to play a fat beat while a male and a female voice add some beautiful harmonies from the off Charr and Joanne grab the audience's attention and keep interaction and energy up throughout their show that's what we stand for!" they announce and introduce us to their music the most recent of which is available on their EP Dubby the Jury meets to vote who will be the winner of this year's edition of The World Reggae Contest the band comes to claim it in a whirl of jumps and screams but at this point I'd like to quote Adahzeh who said during their perfomance: "Reggae music is not a competition - we want to big up all the other bands in this contest!" Right on And since show must go on at the main stage who has already appeard twice with Masajah and Alborosie The immense chorus of young girl's screams at times threatens to drown the singer's voice and after two huge confetti-cannons explode their load of blue just low-pitched bass with Germany's iLLBiLLY HiTEC and Austrian's Kinetical a crucial combination that fits the location perfectly Deciding that the time is ripe for a 'piwo' (beer) I pass the heavily beleaguered backstage-bar and grab a glass adding some of the readily available raspberry syrup that turns the bitter drink instantly into a pinkish cocktail I feel as ready as one can get for the upcoming concert of Alaine I take a glimpse at Radikal Guru and El Fata at the Green Stage saxophone and trumpet to the already dense sound and when they play the Imperial March over a heavy bass remix Wildness is also going on at the Roots Trippin stage where the Bass Invaders bass-invade the audience because Dellé is about to appear on the main stage and since I've never seen him perform on his own I don't want to miss a thing.Wise decision the huge stage just enough to house this exceptional artist and his band Everything is an eye-catcher: from the female trombone-player to the two chubby background singers who look and sound as if they've been directly picked from a church choir to the artist himself one of the three Seeed-frontmen who currently tours for his second solo-album Néo Dellé presents his new material in a cleverly rehearsed show that proves him to not only be a singer and songwriter Skipping the end of his show in order not to miss Italy's Paolo Baldini ls the Green Stage holds a surprise: next to the above mentioned artists all five girls of Adahzeh rock the platform there taking turns with the male MCs to vibe over a riddim and show their dancing skills As track after track rolls from the speakers into the ram-packed hangar ridden by the competent voices of Mellow Mood and Forelock and others I feel that this right here is as important a contribution to the festival as the big artists on the main stage an underground culture that will continue to spawn talents by offering exposure I take a seat at the backstage bar to write some of these impressions down before they are overlain by new ones It's a bit surreal - after a day filled with Reggae in all its diversity there is Bollywood music softly playing here Before turning to the main stage for the last time today to get a dose of Vavamuffin's music for the way home I wish to take some time out to express my gratitude for the wonderful experience these last days were Piotr Kolaj and Miroslaw Maken Dzieciolowski have to be mentioned first - without your efforts Anja and everyone else who took care of the artists (and us) mastering the logistic challenge of who to bring where when All our amazing colleagues at the press office for the shared space and expert information (without which I'd been so lost so often): Bartek all those friendly security guards (no irony here!) to Jarek and the stage crew and all the technicians involved for doing such an amazing job to VJ Majonez once again for the great visual arts to Andrzej for the foam and bubbles without which the festival would have been half as much fun to the city of Ostroda for having us and to Reggaeville for sending me out A big shout-out to my partner-in-crime Lars Silverback and to Jonas from irieites.de who joined us on the battle field on day one to all the talented artists and musicians that have charged us with musical bliss we'll be able to feed on during the months ahead and of course to the wonderful moderators 27Pablo and Mario - dziekuje bardzo!!!One thing is for sure: whatever I try to put in words for you here is a meagre substitute for the real Ostroda experience really come and see for yourself next time around We are proud to present the World Reggae Contest @ Ostroda Reggae Festival. Apply now @ WORLDREGGAECONTEST.com The Jury will chose the winner.The winner will be announced same evening.AWARDS APPLY NOW @ WORLDREGGAECONTEST.com 07/12/2019 by Gardy Stein The 19th edition of the Ostróda Reggae Festival is in session the organizers have carefully chosen a diversity of artists that will spread good vibes full of messages for the next few days (wherever possible we'll provide a link for you to check out these acts) Even though it's not the biggest festival around it has that special something that makes us come back every year a homely feeling due in part to the high quality of both local and foreign acts in part to the amazingly smooth organization and in part to the openness and welcoming attitude of the Polish people Follow our report to find out what's going on in Ostróda and do consider coming here for the big jubilee next year It's hard to describe the feeling of homecoming when the driver passes the Ostróda city sign and countless people with Ostróda-Festival-Shirts from various years and the booming bass of the Amfiteatr Stage - we hurry to get the essentials done to become part of all this Reggaenerator hails from Warsaw where they were founded 16 years ago and they have played as many times here in Ostróda Their music is a powerful mix of driving drums tells us that he has seen them over 50 times already and that tonight is their best sounding show ever due mostly to sound engineer Activator who does their live sound since last year Dźwięk or Jah Jest Prezydentem can unfold their full potential and together with the huge Jamaican flag waving the colourful lights and the dancing crowd that's a really memomrable kick-off.Moderator Mario Korpol takes over the mic and I gather it has something to do with the next generation they return a lost & found mobile phone to its owner it seems (as everyone laughs when the grateful girl gets her device back).  and where usually rows of seats await people for lectures and presentations Thus provided with a good-night bass massage we pick our way home to the rising of a mystical orange moon.  A little personal sensation starts the day I'm not a mere spectator of the annual Uniwersytet Reggae but was invited to be on the panel as speaker along with Karsten Frehe (irieites.de & byte.fm) Paweł "27 Pablo" Szawczukiewicz (Dancehall Masak-Rah & Radio Kampus) BBC & VH1 host) and Mirosław "Maken" Dzięciołowski (Festival Organizor and Czwórka Radio host) Moderated by the academically schooled mind of Bartosz Wójcik (who also delivers a seamless Polish <-> English translation) we talk about the role the Radio has played in the history of Reggae what changes the digital era brings and what contributions David Rodigan made It's him that the subsequent film screening of David Rodigan - Reggae Fever is livicated to and the 'sala kameralna' (conference room) is almost full when it starts sun is shining when we leave the Amfiteatr and we amble along the lake until the low rumble of drums lures us onto the pier A group of around 40 people have assembled around Dominik Muszyński a music anthropologist who studied drum rhythms around the world and passes on his knowledge in a humorous we proceed to do likewise with our bellies finding a table in one of the city's many Pierogi Restaurants This Polish speciality can be described as fried or steamed dumplings stuffed with a variety of fillings to cater for different tastes Finalists of the last edition of the World Reggae Contest in 2016 they can be seen as representing the high quality Reggae music in Poland has developed Piotr on sax and Adam on trombone) spread an almost Wailers-like energy that switches to modern Dancehall-beats in between and singers Jarek and Łukasz keep up a constant positive interaction with the crowd With the settling dusk, the next band has the priviledge to appear in a perfectly orchestrated light- and video-show: welcome on stage, Gentleman's Dub Club The Leeds band of 9 around frontman Jonathan Scratchley are clearly excited to be here the singer wins over the crowd within the blink of an eye "It feels so good to come back after 6 years and still feel the love and passion Poland has for Reggae music!" he says he continues with an ardent delivery of tracks like Stardust (from their most recent album Lost In Space) or Highgrade the beauty of which fits that of this splendidly illuminated summer night After a very music-oriented Friday, Day three kicks off with a heavy load of brain-food. At today's edition of the Uniwersytet Reggae, no other than the "father of Jamaican Dub Poetry", Oku Onuora, is esteemed guest and speaker He talks about the difficult conditions growing up in Eastern Kingston his time in prison and how it inspired him to start writing poems and his 1979 release of Jamaica's first ever Dub Poetry record which he even performs for us (as space doesn't permit a reproduction of the full session's content here we just recommend you to check Oku's life and output) Coming to a close with a look into the future he stresses that it's important for him to communicate with young Jamaican writers making himself available to them as advisor and mentor and that he wants to call this a "generation link" rather than the negatively connoted "generation gap" After a short break in which fans ask him to sign some of the vinyl treasures he has released so far the movie Being Blacker is screened.Upon leaving the Amfiteatr the sound of pumping bass brings us to the pier once more the Dancehall Queens Ula Afro and MaLwa teach some basic moves to an eager crowd taking the trip from Jamaican Dancehall to Trinidadian Soca in preparation of a night full of practical implementation The beautiful weather invites us to walk to the festival grounds and we thus get a chance to see some of this pretty little town called Ostróda the 30.000 inhabitants of which support and welcome the yearly Reggae invasion songwriter and musician is an extremely likeable person His songs are sung along to word for word by his fans and when I spot Bartosz Wójcik among the spectators and Damian sings "We come from the stars and we are catching fleeting moments." - appealing words for real you can share your love with others!" During change-over we pass through the premises to catch some of the omnipresent peaceful vibes and stop for a while to watch the children jump in and out of the mountains of foam created by Andrzej Czaplinski I come to realize that this is probably THE most family-friendly festival I know Not only are there so many attactions for the little ones a playground-area and a chill-zone where they can paint and relax but also it is natural for even the artists to bring their children along (and and hearing protection in all forms and colours are a common sight Big up for thinking about the small people Those who still have enough power to dance to these international sounds do so until the wee hours a time that finds us fast asleep already...  Realization dawns upon falling awake to the sound of the skirling swallows outside: this is the last day already The slight melancholy is swept away after breakfast when we find 27 Pablo and his Dancehall-MasakRah-colleague Rafał infront of the Hotel playing a couple of 45s on a tiny portable record-player Pablo throws out a nice selection of early Reggae probably mentally preparing for the double set he is going to play today (7:30 pm at the Yellow Stage and I simply stand there enjoying the best of ways this Sunday could have started having flown in straight from the Sunrise Reggae & Ska Festival in Germany Ever since their name emerged in the line-up I've been looking forward to their performance tonight as the honey they made us taste during the Reggaeville Easter Special has left us yearning for more we mingle with the crowd to get the best possible sound and open our heart and soul to the experience and even though the sensation isn't as intimate and direct as it was in Hamburg's Fabrik it's amazing to see how conversations all around us ebb away as more and more people are touched by the inexplicable magic of this music as it is the only thing standing between you and God!" advises Marcus and continues with gripping songs like River from his current EP Enter A Space or Kanake from its predecessor Chanting and Marcus takes his leave with the words "Take care of yourselves let us salute the organizers of this beautiful festival - not only do they have a knack for choosing bands that both satisfy and surprise the audience but also does the timing of the slots attest to careful consideration and planning was a demonstration of fiery power and passion with Tabu today we are led into calmer and deeper waters The lower and slower frequency of the music enables us to have a more thorough understanding of the inherent messages I especially enjoy the beginning of their show when the whole Green Stage tent is singing One Love and Buffalo Soldier unisonously nothing beats the feeling when you palance with the crowd to the sounds of the Wipeout-Riddim As the team celebrates their 10th anniversary tonight otherwise I'd be prepared for the enigma they represent: two old men with glasses on a DJ-desk in the middle of a darkened stage Are they really that old or do they wear masks Sir James and King Johnny are accompanierd by MC Troy Berkley and N’Zeng on trumpet the mixture of which is a real pleasure to behold when DJ and trumpetist are battling each other N'Zeng repeating whatever scratched challenge King Johnny puts infront of him when the two grandpas shoot a firework of samples at us A remarkable video-installation rounds off this impressive show and I'm certainly not the only one wondering what the true age of the performers is.And the party is still on at the Green Stage with Poland's Splendid Sound but for us it's time to say good-bye to our wonderful hosts Olivia "Lili" Musiatowicz and everyone else involved - I am so grateful for another unforgettable experience the Positive Music Promotion team has captured perfectly what this weekend was about: music sharing positive vibrations and a vision of a warmer fair and conference centre in Eastern Poland has been officially opened after the second stage of the project was finished Mirbud was the general contractor of the project will also be the official owner of the company Expo Arena The second phase of the extension of Expo Arena was finished in mid-April The project has been co-financed by EU funds The whole investment cost over PLN 188 mln and PLN 90 mln came from the state budget and the regional funds of EU The complex has 58,000 sqm and the conference space (with possibility of divisions) Receive all the latest information from the world of real estate by e-mail the construction of the Aura residential building designed by Robert Konieczny's office KWK Promes According to a report by research company Spectis “Construction companies in Poland 2025-2030” the total revenues of the 300 leading construction gro .. The Globalworth Foundation has provided the authorities in Bucharest with office space for a Covid vaccination centre Panattoni BTS and Commercecon together support the establishment of the second Centaurus Foundation centre in Poland to help horses and other animals intends to focus on operations in other reg .. Six class A office buildings in the PRO Portfolio which is jointly owned by PineBridge Benson Elliot and Sharow Capital have been granted BREEAM In-U .. Who won this year's 14th edition of the Eurobuild Awards The jury and guests gathered at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Warsaw chose this year's .. As the PBSA sector finally takes off in Poland it is now increasingly attracting international operators and investors Enjoy the last set of recordings with comments straight from this year's MIPIM we asked experts from our home country for their input will take place on 9-10 April 2025 at the Norblin Factory Event Hall in W .. we invite you to hot episode of the "Eye to eye" podcast The UN Nansen Refugee Award award will go to Poland for the first time According to the office of the UNHCR High Commissioner this year's regional wi .. Czech developer CTP has been granted a EUR 200 mln loan from the European Investment Bank for the roll-out of its large-scale solar panel installation .. The hotel market in Bucharest continued its recovery in 2024 while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone .. Jarosław Szanajca plans to resign from the position of president of the management board of Dom Development at the end of the year and join the superv .. The Polish and Danish governments have entered preliminary discussions for the construction of a tunnel between Szczecin and Copenhagen underneath the .. Viterra has moved into its ​​new 1,500 sqm offices in Olivia Prime part of the Olivia Centre business complex in Gdańsk The Czech hotel sector saw a transaction volume of EUR 340 miln in Q1 2025 Panattoni has acquired two properties near Gothenburg The brownfield sites will be replaced by a modern 43,000 sqm facility Contemporary cities are grappling with the challenge of fostering dynamic growth while alleviating environmental pressures Prime rents in Prague city centre reached EUR 30 in the first quarter of the year and the vacancy rate continues to decline Colliers has taken over the management of the Studio B office building located in the Warsaw Wola district The property is owned by Stena Real Estate .. The University of Warsaw has signed a contract with the general contractor for a project at ul The new building will house the faculti .. Torus has announced its All.inn students’ residence concept that is soon to appear on ul Newgate Investment (NGI) and Redkom Development are developing a large retail park in Bydgoszcz Velis Real Estate Tech is officially changing its name to Singu adopting the title of its property management product the construction of the Panattoni Park Unterfranken has officially started View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. Upcoming reggae band Earth Kry has qualified for top honours in this year's World Reggae Contest which is organised by Reggaeville.com in partnership with local recording studio The main event will take place this August in Ostroda where the top five bands will perform live before the winner is announced Over 100 entrants vied to be named in the top 10 originating from all over the world "Feedback to our contest was really overwhelming It just confirms that reggae is a global culture We are happy that artistes see the potential of the contest and the fact they all want to come to Ostroda," said Piotr 'Piter' Kolaj of Positive Music Promotion the promoter of Ostroda Reggae Festival in Poland Earth Kry is the only band from Jamaica to make the top 10 Fans are encouraged to log on to the website Reggaevillle.com and vote for their favourite pick before voting closes tomorrow The Earth Kry band was born and nurtured within the halls of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston where four budding musicians hoped to hone their skills Their journey began with a twist of fate which brought together keyboard player Phillip Mcfarlane bass guitarist Kamardo Blake and guitarist Aldayne Haughton Drawing inspiration from Bob Marley and The Wailers the group soon cemented a wholesome fusion of roots reggae souls and rock genres for a fresh but universal sound Much like the iconic reggae outfit The Wailers to signify its mission to voice the grievances of the downtrodden through the vibrations of their music which echoes the daily tribulations of the working class who are barely able to make ends meet from the menial wages they receive the band has spent much of their time backing other notable artistes in recording sessions while further developing their signature sound Through the guidance of former Third World band member Ibo Cooper as well as musicians Lambo Robinson and Maurice Gordon and producers Stephen Stewart and Sam Clayton the band works towards releasing their first EP and then debut album Hard Road in the near future View the discussion thread. according to the latest research from Prague Research Forum Segro European Logistics Partnership (SELP) has acquired a fully leased warehouse park in Sázava near Prague CA Immo exits non-core market Serbia with the sale of the 19,600 sqm office building Sava Business Center in Belgrade Both the sales price and the buyer are subject to confidentiality Eurobuild CEE spoke to Xior's investment manager about why it has such confidence in the Polish market Residential developer Develia has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire all the shares in Bouygues Immobilier Polska the Polish subsidiary of Bouygues Immobilier ESA logistika has leased 15,000 sqm in Prologis Park Piotrków GLP has completed the development of its Wrocław V Logistics Centre and has received a BREEAM rating of Outstanding Panattoni has secured EUR 40 mln in financing from BNP Paribas for the development of Panattoni Park Sosnowiec IV Deutsche Hypo – NORD/LB Real Estate Finance has provided a five-year green loan to Olivia Seven for the refinancing of the Olivia Prime A office building in Gdańsk-Oliwa communications and security company Motorola Solutions has signed a five-year lease renewal 18,000 sqm at the Green Office complex in Kraków’s Podgórze district Falling interest rates and easing monetary policy across the eurozone and CEEi are boosting investor confidence in the region’s commercial real estate market reveals Colliers in its ‘Beyond Real Estate | Economy’ report Panattoni is to build the Panattoni Park Mainz Süd in Erbes-Büdesheim bei Alzey Axi Immo has presented its latest report “Warsaw Office Market – Q1 2025 The market opened in 2025 on a steady footing with a notable increase in leasing activity and a modest decline in vacancy landlords continue to focus on upgrading existing assets and prioritizing quality over quantity Convenience store chain Żabka has officially opened a new logistics centre in Kąty Wrocławskie The first stage of the development will serve 1,500 stores in the Wrocław area Romanian Post has leased over 5,000 sqm of logistics space in CTPark Bucharest to serve as its temporary regional courier and logistics hub for Bucharest JLL has announced the sale and leaseback of two properties by a manufacturing company in a deal worth over PLN 1 bln Warehouse developer CTP is adding 2,000 sqm to its Clubco coworking development in Brno which specialises in temperature-controlled goods is to enlarge its freezer warehouse in Radomsko by an additional 4,800 sqm it will be the company's largest distribution centre in Poland Footwear retailer Deichmann has prolonged its lease of 21,000 sqm in Prologis Park Wrocław III The company has been in the park since 2011 The grand opening of DPD's 18,000 sqm logistics hub at Segro Logistics Park Stryków took place on 14 April 2025 The courier company currently leases a total of more than 35,000 sqm across Segro's portfolio in Poland The largest Polish ice cube manufacturer has increased the space it leases at the MLP Pruszków II warehouse complex to 7,200 sqm an Oligocene well has been drilled to meet the tenant's needs Peakside Capital Advisors and Partners Group have laid the cornerstone for the City Point Okęcie logistics centre Panattoni has completed the expansion of Panattoni Park Koluszki in Central Poland and obtained an occupancy permit Axi Immo has presented its latest market analysis in the special publication "Central Poland Industrial Snapshot" the region recorded a historic high in industrial and logistics leasing activity A 15,300 sqm hi-tech production hall has opened in Debrecen developed by Panattoni Hungary and the OTP Real Estate Investment Fund a company that specialises in LED light therapy and pharmaceuticals distributor Avenier have both signed leases for space in CTPark Plzeň Kasárny Mito Light is to take up 556 sqm while Avenier has leased 588 sqm with the handover planned for the autumn of 2025 With warehouse and industrial stock of nearly 35 mln sqm Poland’s market has stabilised at a healthy level Logistics operator DB Schenker has leased an additional 9,800 sqm in the Hillwood Rawicz logistics centre The tenant has been operating from the centre since the autumn of last year when it opened a service centre with an area of over 17,000 sqm for a manufacturer of optical products More than 2.6 mln sqm of industrial and logistics space was delivered across Poland in 2024 according to BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland’s latest report "At a Glance While this was below the new supply levels recorded in previous years Spring has very much sprung and everywhere is bathed in the first warm sunshine of the year I have in the back of my mind the terrifying fo .. The Polish warehouse market has finally stabilised after the post-pandemic boom but new challenges and opportunities are on the horizon for the sector UBM Development has been given the go-ahead for the first wooden office building in Poland: Timber Park in Poleczki Business Park in Warsaw The office market in Warsaw is currently experiencing a period of stability in terms of supply and take-up Recent data on overall tenant activity indicates that clients in the cap .. The Radisson Blu Resort & Conference Centre Ostróda Mazury is the 18th hotel to be opened by the Radisson Hotel Group in Poland It is located on the banks of Lake Drwęca and contains 238 guestrooms as well as 2,300 sqm of meeting and event space four function rooms and seven conference rooms The complex also offers an aqua park with water slides while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone of EUR 100 Peninsula Property has signed a contract with Doraco to build The Elements Resort a condohotel in Dźwirzyno on the Baltic sea Autograph Collection Hotels debuts in Croatia with The Isolano Located in a pine grove overlooking the Adriatic Sea the boutique hotel offers 49 guestrooms and suites Mövenpick has made its debut in Poland with the opening of two hotels – Mövenpick Grand Hotel Wrocław and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karpacz The brand has plans for further expansion in Europe The first The Cloud One Hotel in Warsaw is set to open in the Upper One complex The Spark by Hilton brand is entering the Polish market with two new hotels Spark by Hilton Pobierowo and Spark by Hilton Krynica Morska will open within the next six months Boutique brand Accor is making its debut in Germany with the opening of a hotel in Düsseldorf The company also announces plans to open its first property in Croatia in 2026 The Art Nouveau hotel Grand Hotel Evropa in Prague has started operating under the W Hotels banner as W Prague This is the first property of this Marriott Bonvoy-owned brand in the Czech capital The Polish company Sinfam Investments became the new owner of the hotel Sofitel will remain the managing operator of the hotel It is located in the 42-storey high-rise Belgrade Tower (Kula Beograd) built at the meeting point of the Sava and Danube rivers Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego has granted a loan of up to EUR 40 mln to the Hungarian company from the Puro Group The financing will be used for the construction of a four-star premium hotel in the centre of Budapest S Immo has successfully completed a sale of the Juliš Hotel in Prague with a total leasable area of around 6,700 sqm The Moxy Hotels brand has announced the expansion of its European portfolio to 100 hotels by the end of 2025 17 more hotels are to open by the end of next year According to data from Cushman & Wakefield the Bucharest hotel market is experiencing the highest supply growth among the CEE capitals between 2024 and 2026 The demand in the first half of the year compared to the same period of 2023 experienced an increase of 3 pct Curio Collection by Hilton celebrates its opening The 54-room facility debuts as the first in Croatia and the brand’s 40th trading country View the discussion thread. Poland - February 2018 - From 16 to 18 February the 7th edition of the theatrical festival "Overview on theatrical initiatives" was held in Ostróda aimed at young people from schools of the Salesian Province of Warsaw spectators had the opportunity to see plays interpreted by young actors in which not only the artistic it was important to underline that the main objective of the event: to bring together the young people from the Salesian schools and have them see the effects of their efforts ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements