There’s no denying it. The Balkans is where it’s at. To be honest, it has been here for quite a while. I’m in town for the weekend for Pristina’s Freedom Festival (June 12-23) in Kosovo, celebrating the fledgling nation and campaigning for freedom of movement for the Young Europeans.

My knowledge of this fresh, brave new state was limited to the vapid burblings of BBC correspondents. I was travelling on my own, to a totally new country and culture, to meet some people who I had only had a brief Facebook exchange with. I’m not some happy-go-lucky middle-class oik on a Gap Yaaar in Peraaa, so this was a fairly intimidating experience.

Flying into Pristina airport, the first thing that grabbed me was the utter greenery enveloping the state. Staring out of the tiny porthole of my 737 flight, I could see new developments popping up like unfinished pimples on the otherwise verdant arable landscape. It reminded me of India, about 15 years ago, before corporate greed slowly tore her heart out (like Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).

Kosovo’s pain is relatively fresh. 10 years ago, wars for independence ripped through the land. Albanians and Serbs descended into the tit-for-tat violence that’s become a humanitarian cliché across the globe - Palestine and Israel, India and Pakistan, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and East Timor. Every culture in the world can identify with this nation’s hurt, and the roots of conflict stretch back to middle ages, although historical accounts have become mired with the tarred brush of political dogma.

"It reminded me of India, about 15 years ago, before corporate greed slowly tore her heart out (like Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)."

From the outside eye, Kosovo looks like just any other European country. The only difference being the sheer warmth and generosity of the people – they don’t care what language you speak; most folks just want to buy you a beer and hear your stories. My hosts, the crew of Urban FM, were the loveliest of people. The whole weekend saw me crashing on the sofa of Toton and Berna (stage managers for the festival), hearing tales of villagers finding unexploded Tomahawk cruise missiles in their back gardens, the rolling beaches of Albania and when Red Man (diva) and Method Man (definitely not a diva)  headlined the festival the previous year.

The Freedom Festival 2010 itself was an amazing couple of days with a huge selection of music. It reminded me of Wayne’s World 2 – a load of really cool guys putting on music for the masses. Standout mentions were Stereo MCs, Roni Size, Jericho, Bonze and Troya, who all put on sick shows. At 5 Euros per day, ‘freedom’ is definitely worth coming to. Pristina is slowly building itself up – it’s got a rocking nightlife, a whole slew of good value hostels and damn good food.

The optimism and true heart of the Young Europeans mixed with their love of Dubstep, heavy tech, drum ’n’ bass, metal and all things loud and bashy makes for the best opportunity to build bridges through the one thing that unites us all - the rave.

Words: Ashwin Bolar
Photos: Muamer Niksic Photography