Everything seems to be changing. The Festival stays the same. Like the elements. Earth. Air. Water. Roast meat. Bread and bacon. Garlic. Dance leader and the very last dancer. The first and the last one in the folk round-dance. The Festival is a wonder. And it is a wonder of wonders. One ought to have marched the streets of Guča thirty five years ago. In the "anterija" (embroidered wide-sleeve shirt). With šajkača on the head. In the presence of authorities. In the company of the trumpeters.
This is a wonder. An ongoing march. Which does not stop. From Festival to Festival. From town to town. In late summer. On the eve of autumn. The drum is drumming. The folk dancers turn around. But please, do imagine: what it was like thirty five years ago. Like sneaking. Like a reproof. Like defiance. Defiance is yet to grow. True defiance is yet going to defy. In overall doubt.
And one was sneaking. And a big folk dance was in preparation. Sneaking. Naively and unskillfully at first sight. One ought to have courage. And one ought to resist to blamings. Why do you need this here? And why exactly do you need it here? And what is Dragačevo doing here? And is this allowed in Dragačevo? And what are others going to say? And how will the others behave? And who will take responsibility for this? And what if anything inappropriately comes out from this? It's dangerous! The time is not ripe! Why exactly the trumpets? And why are trumpets here? But this reminds of war! And what were those wars! There are wars and wars. Imperial wars, offensive wars, occupational wars, unjust wars, evil wars, inappropriate wars. What are trumpets here for? What are they reminding us of? Of some principalities and kingdoms?
It was not a Serb who invented the trumpet. What is the trumpet doing in a folk dance? It has more important work to do. Its place is known. It sees off to wars. And it marches with the armies. One, two. As commanded. One, two. You cannot do it in six steps.
And it roared. In Dragačevo. As a challenge. And as defiance. It remembered. It reminded. It made feel younger. It gave the breath of cheerfulness. And hope. Because the people is dancing. It is good when the people is dancing. Autumn will have many weddings. Children will be borne. Fields and meadows will revive. There will be bread and bacon. Land will be plowed. The country will not go to war. It will plow the land. Because God Perun, the supreme Serbian God, is not a God of war, but a God of wealth, a God of fertility. He warns through thunder and lightning. He manages the Earth and Heaven. And sends rain to the thirsty land. Fertilizes. Revives. Makes younger. Creates. Makes presents.
One ought to have to be sly, to slowly, patiently, with necessary curry favoring and unnecessary agreement preserve the essence of the Festival, which became a rain which watered the people with fate, and with hope that there still is health, and that not everything is gone, and that there will be life and birth.
The big Festival folk dance started. And a big, general people's defiance was borne. The trumpet turned into a wonder. Listen to it. It shakes. You will hear what you have never heard. You will hear if you have lost strength. You will hear if you had doubt. There is salvation. There is hope. You will hear if you got alienated. You will hear if you have not yet gave birth. You will hear if you were fertilized.
My voice is weak. It has no power to overpower the trumpet. Everything I myself say, the trumpet will tell you. It trumpets constantly only about that. One ought to hear it, listen to it, and understand it. It speaks instead of us. One day, who knows when, it came to us from the wide world. And spoke with our voice. Just as if it had played. As if it tuned in. And tuned in with gusle. We saw it on paintings dedicated to God's spaces. The angels announce the arrival. Of the Last Judgment. It became completely tame in Dragačevo. It does not call for attack. It does not want to go to war. It does not announce the destruction of the world. The arrival of the Last Judgment. It starts the folk dance. It celebrates. And disseminates joy. And therefore it is welcome. Like a person who revives the others. For joy. For happiness.