Valamar Blog

On Saturday, July 26 at the resort Dubrova near Labin jubilant 40th Labinske konti fest took place, which is a festivity of original folk music and dance of Labin region that was held in 1968 for the first time at the square in old Labin.
It must be pointed out that Labinske konti aim at promotion and preservation of Istrian cultural heritage. During the program that lasted more than two hours dancers and players of Rudar, Culture and Arts Society Ivan Fonovic Zlatela from Krsani and guests from island Krk, as well as members of Slovenian Culture and Arts Society Brkini did their performance.

Up till ten years ago this festivity was taking place all over the Labin region and the final one in Dubrova, through which the organizers- Worker’s Culture and Arts Society Rudar have contributed immensely not only to the preservation of traditional folk music of this region, but also to the social lives of Labin villages and small villages.

Furthermore, Istria has presented the world with famous Istrian scale, which proves that it is an especially valuable cultural heritage created on our largest peninsula. It was proposed that the Istrian scale be listed on the list of UNESCO world heritage.

The dance Balun, which was danced on this occasion as well, is an Istrian dance, which is characterized by short vertical body movements and very interesting turning. The dancers perform Balun accompanied by traditional instruments, mih and šurle (both woodwind instruments of clarinet type). Balun is danced by several couples gathered in a circle and the couples turn around their axis exactly as does the Earth around the Sun. It is not known when this dance was invented, but it has presumably arouse from the need of young couples in love for physical closeness and this is why the man and the woman dance Balun almost clinging to each other.