Strafiato: the festival of the love of life

Innsbruck is expecting a very special festival: From July 7 to 9, 'Strafiato', the 'Urban Brass Festival', will be celebrated on our streets. Organized by the local music collective StreetNoise Orchestra, a total of 200 musicians from four European countries in nine bands will provide three days of free admission for exuberant mood and entertainment in our city.

How do trumpets, trombones and timpani sound when brass music returns from the valleys to the city? Can grassroots organized music groove? How do you dance to 7/8 time? Questions to which there will be clear answers starting July 7. For me, at any rate, this kind of street music has always been one of the most rousing and entertaining open-air musical performances that can be staged on the streets of a city.

The initiative for the festival goes back to a music collective that has been providing musical performances - especially on Innsbruck's streets - for exactly ten years now. StreetNoise Orchestra is the name of the remarkable collection of young music enthusiasts who, especially in the summer, guarantee an exuberant atmosphere on the city's streets, parks and public squares. Be it at events, demos or 'just because'. Their unmistakable 'sound' always reminded me of Italian music bands, which are omnipresent on Italian streets and squares in the summer. Their repertoire ranges from Verdi to the songs of the Cantaudores to 'Bella Ciao'.

And indeed: the great model of the Innsbruck music collective are the Italian 'Banda aperta', the 'open bands'. Their commitment to socio-political, civic and cultural causes impressively demonstrates how art and democracy can mutually reinforce each other. These orchestras usually do not perform alone, but are often the musical accompaniment of socio-political concerns, which are presented for example in the context of a demonstration. You can find a video example at the end of the blog post.

So what does 'Strafiato' actually mean?

It is the Italian expression for 'hyperventilate', which aptly describes the sound range of the music bandas. Because the energy density of this music is enormous, it seems chaotic at first hearing, but then proves to be absolutely intoxicating and triggers in many people the desire to spontaneously dance along.

From July 7 to 9, 200 music-loving young people will flood Innsbruck with their music. A total of nine bands will travel from all parts of Europe: four from the 'motherland' of street music, Italy, one band each from Germany, France and the Netherlands, while Austria will be represented by two bands. It is fair to say that this is an 'International of musical joie de vivre'. Details you can see from this link: https://streetnoise.at/festival/

By the way, the 200 musicians will be accommodated in the gym of the academic high school, the catering will be provided by the wonderful Piano Bar.

The festival program

On Friday, July 7, there will be a street party in the city center with music from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by concerts by the bandas in the greenhouse tower and garden from 7 p.m. on. The musicians will be joined in the afternoon by artists and political groups to enliven the city with art and activism.

On Saturday, the street orchestras will lead a climate demo parade through Innsbruck from 2 to 4 pm and will make music between Landhausplatz and Waltherplatz. From 7 p.m. there will again be concerts in the tower and garden of Treibhaus.

Sunday is between 10 and 13 o'clock completely in the indication of a Picnic Jam in the Rapoldipark.

Voluntary donations

Although publicly supported by the city, the tourist board, the IKB, the Piano Bar and the ÖGB, these funds would not have been enough to finance the festival. That's why you can participate with a small contribution: https://streetnoise.at/festival/#crowdfunding-rewards. In return, you'll get T-shirts (hand-printed and BIO-certified), posters and drinking cups. Of course, it is possible to support the activities of these committed young people directly on site with a small obolus.