Conversations on Kala

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Music

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CONVERSATIONS ON KALA

 

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Words by Al Khwin
Artwork by Sam Douglas 

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In the wake of its second instalment, Al Khwin penned some thoughts on Kala festival. The Albanian festival marks a growing trend of festival-goers heading for warmer climes, but at what cost? In this editorial we explore the impact the festival has had on the local community, economy and culture. 

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Towards the end of the final set at Kala Ollie Shapiro & AKA Juan drew for Bruce Hornsby’s ‘The Way It Is’, I recorded a video of this and played it back on the flight home. Perhaps due to my sleep deprived and over-sentimental state, it seemed a tad bittersweet the lyrics a reminder of the economic strife that underlines so much of the discourse on Albania. At the time though, I imagined the lyrics ‘some things will never change’ as an homage to the enduring and restorative power of a music festival.

As the international crowd thinned during the final set of the week and Albanian members of staff I had seen in various roles huddled around the DJ booth at the Cove I approached an affable waiter from Luciano’s, Amarillo, I had become acquainted with over the week. He had travelled from Durrës to Dhërmi as the seasonal work on offer due to the festival was too good an opportunity to refuse.

Unemployment rates in Albania ranking in the top 10 in Europe mean events such as Kala offer important if brief employment opportunities. Amarillo mused that whilst the hours at Luciano’s were long and the pay meagre that he hoped that he would return to the festival in subsequent years as a punter rather than worker.

In the week leading up to Kala, I had read a report claiming that Albania had become Europe’s first ‘narco-state’, informing colleagues and friends of my holiday plans, I was met with reactions ranging from bemusement at the destination to questions of the safety of the country. It’s clear there is some way to go to dispel these pejorative associations but the image is shifting slowly. Kala which was a near flawless week in an idyllic location can only help to accelerate this. It seems to be a sea change in Albania being viewed as a viable holiday destination, most notably among the Western Europeans that made up the largest part of it’s demographic.

I recall a conversation I had with a chap from Stockholm who remarked his surprise at the amount of Brits, especially Londoners, he encountered. He mentioned that by comparison it would have been bizarre had the festival been dominated by Swedes. I heard a similar remark from a guy from Hong Kong. This is hardly surprising as it is a British run festival with most of its musical partners hailing from London and the makeup speaks to the notoriously voracious appetite of Brits to party. European festivals can at times feel like predominantly white spaces I felt Kala, relative to its small capacity, did well to attract a diverse crowd.

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"EUROPEAN FESTIVALS CAN AT TIMES FEEL LIKE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SPACES I FELT KALA, RELATIVE TO ITS SMALL CAPACITY, DID WELL TO ATTRACT A DIVERSE CROWD."

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"KALA’S SECOND ITERATION HAS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE THAT HAS TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL FOR ALBANIA AS A HOLIDAY HOTSPOT"

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Dhërmi in fact over the course of the week appeared one of the most inclusive spaces I’ve had the pleasure of partying in. As Brian not Brian and Jan Schulte wrapped up their standout set, that ranged from low tempo machine jams to classic soul and disco, I spoke to a group of ladies on what drew them to Kala: to which they responded in short curiosity. Indeed there was a sense of open-mindedness pervading the festival. A Muslim friend of mine who was in attendance remarked to me that he was almost taken aback by the graciousness he was received with by the people living and working in the town. Which he noted as all the more noticeable and refreshing for him considering the growing pressures and cultural tension faced by Muslims in the UK today.

The small number of attendees went a long way to cultivate a sense of community for the week, which I hope the organisers will honour going forward. You’d likely see the same faces enjoying seafood dinners and on the dancefloors; like Moe a sure-fire nominee for Kala MVP who could be seen over the week sporting an impressive collection of dashikis with an energy on the dancefloor that was nothing short of infectious.

The team behind Kala hit a home run with the selection of the site, the existing infrastructure being perfect for the small festival where you can slip in and out of the party at your own leisure. The production values were high and the lighting, stage design of the open air clubs showed a lot of flair. The mountain backdrop behind the Empire stage is one of the most dramatic I’ve witnessed at a music festival and the proximity between the Ceraunian mountains and sea made for overall breath-taking settings. 

Seeing the DJs out and about at the local restaurants and on the dancefloors added even more to the feeling of an intimate affair. Meeting Yu Su after her superb set was a personal highlight. She displayed her idiosyncratic touch for track selection, a choice mix of afro and balearic house, the crowd was effervescent even after 6 days of raving.

Whilst there were a few teething problems, to be expected for such a new festival, Kala’s second iteration has firmly established itself as a festival experience that has transformative potential for Albania as a holiday hotspot. In working with local businesses, not being a money-grab and creating an inclusive atmosphere for the festival goers it seems inevitable that Albania will become a focal point for dance music festivals in the future in the same vein as Croatia. Kala will have been the pioneer. It’s safe to say I’ll be returning for some more revelry on the Albanian Riviera next year. 

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READ MORE

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CONTEMPORARY CONVERSATIONS

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