Past Events at Hotel Gracanica

On 30 April 2022, Ebru Jılta held a concert at the hotel for a group of Swiss visitors and other guests. Check her songs on Youtube, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIj-x-4eGxw

The new music video of the Jimmy Mustafa Band is now on YouTube, the title song from their second album. You can hear the band every Sunday at our hotel during our Sunday brunch. See also:  https://www.facebook.com/jimiband14/.

The Jimmy Mustafa Band that regularly plays at our Sunday brunch has recorded their second album, "Romane Bajrakja", in June (album cover painting: Bajram Mehmeti) and immediately went on tour in Germany. In October, 2019 they will go on their second tour in Switzerland, with these concerts:

• Chur, Postremise, 17 October at 19:00
• Alvaneu-Dorf, Nido del Lupo, 18 October at 19:00
• Mathon, Restaurant Muntsuley, 19 October at 19:00
• Arogno, Bar de la Poste, 20 October at 19:00
• Bellinzona, Biblioteca Interculturale, 24 October at 19:00
• Winterthur, Coalmine, 25 October at 19:00
• Winterthur, Ida-Beiz, 26 October at 20:30
• Zürich, Maxim Theater, 27 October at 20:00

For a feature of the German public radio about the band s. Das Ende vom „Zigeunerlager Auschwitz“. Massenmord im August 1944

Not at the hotel - as usually every Sunday -, but on tour in Germany: The Jimmy Mustafa Band will have concerts in German from June 7th to 23rd 2019. For details s. https://jimmymustafabandontour.wordpress.com/

Opening on 14 October: 

Photography, reading session, aperitif

„Prishtina you beauty, you beast, you desert and garden of flowers, you reality and appearance, you chameleon against stagnation, you end of history and then again somehow clash of civilizations. You home of mine, you stranger to me.“ AH.

You are cordially invited to the exhibition opening of SecondSight - a photo exhibition and a documentary-literary declaration of love on second sight for Prishtina by Aleksandra Hiltmann.

Please join us on 14th of October 2017, 17:30, at Hotel Gracanica.

Ul. Dragana Ristića b.b., 10500 Gračanica (10 min. from Pristina)

Feel free to bring guests.

Spoken word & music performance

by

Ariane von Graffenried (Switzerland)

Miloš Živanović (Serbia)

Shpëtim Selmani (Kosovo)

Maru Rieben (Switzerland)

Art Lokaj (Kosovo)

Kosovë/o is everywhere is a project of Bern ist überall (Berne is everywhere), a group of Swiss writers and musicians, together with Qendra Multimedia. Authors from Kosova and Switzerland are on stage together and present literature in different languages as a sort of performance. The tour starts at the Qendra Multimedia in Prishtina, and then takes the group to Gračanica, Ferizaj, Prizren, Gjakova, Peja and back to Prishtina.

Ariane von Graffenried: Born 1978, she lives and works as an author in Berne. Ph.D. in theatrical sciences, she writes for stage and the medias. With the musician Robert Aeberhard she created the duo Fitzgerald&Rimini. Her book « Fleur de Bern » [Flower of Berne} was published in 2010 (knapp Verlag), her CD « Aristokratie und Wahnsinn » in 2011 and in 2015 her second CD « Grand Tour » (Verlag der gesunde Menschenversand). www.fitzgeraldrimini.ch

Milos Zivanovic (4.8.1976, Belgrade), co-founder and co-editor of KPZ Betonngo and Cultural-propaganda set Beton. Author: Ignore The Nightmare In The Bathroom, Maticasrpska, Novi Sad, 2006; Kubernetes – priče o pilotu (Kubernets – stories about a pilot), Plima, Ulcinj, 2008; Lirikapasa (Lyric of Dogs), Algoritam, Zagreb, 2009; co-author of theatrical-musical performance “Opera za dinar”, with “Ah, Ahilej” ensemble, based on the book Lirikapasa; Razbijanje(The Killing), Algoritam, Zagreb/Beograd, 2011.

Shpëtim Selmani, a 28-year-old, a poet and an actor from Kosovo, is a guest in Belgrade. He is part of a residential program organized by the same people who organize the regional festival of literature KROKODIL. Selmani studies sociology at the University of Prishtina and has completed his master degree in acting at the Academy of Arts in Prishtina. He has published two poetry collections: Inside the Shell/Brenda Guacës (2006) and Poetry/Poezija (2011). Some of his poetry has been translated into Serbian for an anthology “From Prishtina with love”, through which the readers from Serbia got introduced to contemporary Kosovar literature.

Maru Rieben: Born in Berne, 1963. She is formed as jazz percussionist and media artist. She collaborates with artists from a modern dance background, from the performance, theater, literature (spoken words) and video. She performed in Europe and in Japan,  recorded several CD. In parallel to this, she teaches at a music school. www.marurieben.com

Art Lokaj, born in Prishtina, 25 years old. He has a BA in Albanian Literature in University of Prishtina “HasanPrishtina”, Prishtina (Kosovo). Performing guitar and keyboards in different genres such as blues, funk, pop, rock and modern/alternative music. Working with different kinds of sound equipment to build sounds that fit the genre/song. Finding the songs that fit the idea of the producer/writer or writing/recording an original song/idea for the project. The ability to improvise and play along with other musicians. Highly passionate about working with garage bands, theater groups, small venues, production companies, etc. As a guitarist, he performed and recorded with a lot of artists such as EnedaTarifa, EdonaReshitaj, RinaBilurdagu, Nita Latifi, ElhaidaDani, Redon Makashi, AleksanderGjoka, Elton Deda, Xuxi – NaimBunjaku, Mentor Haziri, Alban Skenderaj, etc.

More info:  https://bernistkosovo.wordpress.com/  and https://www.facebook.com/kosovoeverywhere/

Catch up with this phantastic band just preparing their first album and on their way to a concert in Vienna!
Proximity Minie is one of the seven multiethnic bands of the Mitrovica Rock School.

Click on the links for more information about the band and their concert in Vienna and a sound sample!
It is the second concert of the band at the hotel (scroll down).

Saturday, January 21st, at 4pm, students of the tailor and hairdresser courses of the Diakonie Training Center Mitrovica will hold a fashion and hair show at the hotel. You are cordially invited!

The fashion and hair show will be accompanied by performances of the Urban Dance Crew Mitrovica. 
The Urban Dance Crew Mitrovica has already had a fascinating performance at the hotel on 29 July 2014 (s.https://www.hotelgracanica.com/news/) and a successful tour through Germany in 2016. As the space in the hotel is limited, we cannot promise you scenes like the one on the photo, but you'll certainly be impressed!

Links: 
- https://www.facebook.com/Diakonie-Training-Center-717532191610209/?fref=ts
- https://www.facebook.com/udc.mitrovica/?fref=ts

Come and watch two of our favorite documentaries about Roma: "Welcome to Plemetina", a touching film made in 2003 by Roma youth (credit: Balkan Sunflowers), showing the life in their community and the dreams of the children there. And "Pretty Dyana": "Romani immigrants struggle to survive in the outskirts of Belgrade using only Citroën's Dyane as a truck, transportation device and power supply - as a life support system."

Click on these links to learn more!

Trailer for "Pretty Dyana"

"Welcome to Plemetina", complete film available on YouTube.

On Monday, 6 April 2015, we will have a special Easter brunch with many Easter specialties incl.
roast lamb, roast pork, Easter bread, corn bread, colored eggs, slavsko žito (wheat pudding w. walnuts),
 paskha (Russian Easter dessert) etc.

11am to 3pm

Adults:           15 €

Children:       1 € per year of age

Incl. fresh orange juice, coffee/tea, mineral water

Reservations: 038 729 888 or 049 764 000

Portraits taken at the documentary and short film festival Dokufest in Prizren this summer (s. http://dokufest.com/2014/500-faces-that-dont-hide/).

For earlier great photos of Layla Baraké s. https://www.behance.net/laylabarake 

and http://www.lightstalkers.org/layla-barak-

Article in the Münstersche Zeitung about the exhibition

As we move into 2014, give yourself a moment to pause, refocus, nourish & renew at the blissfully luxurious Hotel Gracanica. A mix of hatha and meditation practices to release the winter blues, contemplate positive intentions for 2014 and, most of all, to enjoy the present. Time to explore a new side of Gracanica, enjoy the glow of the fireside, views of the countryside and replenish yourself with delicious food. We (Narayani & Laura) are excited to share this special weekend with you - let us know if you'd like a personalised yoga therapy or health coaching consultation - it's in the price too :) Looking forward to hear from you :) Yoga Narayani - Yoga & Yoga Therapy Yoga and Wellness Coaching with Laura

Diesen Sonntag, 15. Dezember, um 16 Uhr wird Elisabeth Kaestli ihr soeben erschienenes neuestes Buch "7 Brüder, 7 Schwestern. Eine kosovarische Familie in der Welt" bei uns am Kaminfeuer vorstellen und Passagen daraus lesen. Daran anschliessend offeriert die Schweizer Botschaft einen Aperitif, Vesko Buzolli, Akkordeon, sorgt für die musikalische Umrahmung.

Die vierzehn Geschwister Reka wurden in einem Bergdorf in Kosovo geboren. Armut und politische Unterdrückung zerstreuten sie nach und nach in alle Winde, über die Schweiz und Deutschland bis nach Kanada. Heute treffen sie sich wieder Sommer für Sommer am grossen Gartentisch in Kaçanik, dem Städtchen, in dem die Familie ab 1979 wohnte und wo noch zwei Brüder leben. Es ist der Ort der Träume der Emigrierten, der Mittelpunkt der weitgespannten Weltfamilie. Die Geschwister Reka erzählen vom kargen ländlichen Leben in den 1960er-Jahren und ihren ganz unterschiedlichen, teils abenteuerlichen Wegen hinaus in die Welt. Ihre Erzählungen ergeben im Kleinen ein detailgenaues Bild der Migration, wie sie gegenwärtig in Europa tausendfach überall präsent ist.

Elisabeth Kaestli, geboren 1945, aufgewachsen in Biel / Bienne. Dolmetscherstudium in Genf und Triest. Ab 1973 Journalistin für Zeitungen und Radio. 2006-2010 wohnhaft in Tansania, seither in Pristina (Kosovo). Im Limmat Verlag sind erschienen: «Frauen in Kosova. Lebensgeschichten aus Krieg und Wiederaufbau», «Gräben und Brücken. Freundschaften vor und nach den Kriegen im Balkan», «Vom Mont Soleil zur Blüemlisalp. Bernerinnen erzählen » und «Aisha, Mussa, Zawadi ... Lebensgeschichten aus Tansania».