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A Man With A Golden Tooth


Festival goers cool themselves down in the stream. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A performer is holding his helicon tuba. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A family is unpacking their car in the camping field. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A detail of identical outfits worn by band members. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A man is preparing a pig roast by his camper van. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A blanket with a floral design is used to protect a car from heat and sun. Guča, Serbia, 2017. Flowers are casting a shadow on the concrete pavement. Guča, Serbia, 2017. Two boys in matching swimwear. Guča, Serbia, 2017. Performers are heading to the festival area, while festival goers rest in the shadow of the bridge. Guča, Serbia, 2017. Plastic trumpets are being sold at the fair during the trumpet festival. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A man wearing a Chetnik hat is brushing his teeth in a local fountain. Guča, Serbia, 2017 A man with two boys by the river. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A tuba in the grass. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A man is holding a sick pigeon. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A boy is playing with the airgun on his grandmother's porch. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A peach is swarmed by bees on a local market. Guča, Serbia, 2017. Teenagers by the river. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A belly dancer and a brass band are performing for a bare-chested man whose tattoo means "God alone can judge me". Guča, Serbia, 2017. A painting of the trumpet player is displayed on the fence of a local pub. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A family is watching a gambling game. Guča, Serbia, 2017. A teenage boy is testing out his raft made out of plastic bottles. Guča, Serbia, 2017.


For over half a century, the small and sleepy town of Guča in western Serbia has served as the stage for an annual trumpet competition, where brass bands from all over Europe, largely of Romani heritage, vie for the coveted golden trumpet prize. What began as a humble local competition has now blossomed into a massive turbo-folk party, drawing thousands of visitors from far and wide.

During the festival, the locals open their doors and gardens to visitors, and people pitch their tents and campers wherever they can find space. The brass bands play in the streets from dawn till late night, so it feels like the music never stops - well, at least as long as someone is putting banknotes in the trumpets and tubas.⁠

The trumpet has a rich history in Serbia and is a cornerstone of the country's national identity; records show that trumpeters and drummers have been a part of the Serbian army since the Middle Ages. Most trumpeters are not formally trained and learn to play the instruments by ear, often improvising when performing for the audience. Brass orchestras have long provided the soundtrack for major life events, from weddings and baptisms to funerals.

It's nearly impossible not to dance to the energetic rhythms of Balkan brass. On the hot summer days of the festival, people seek refuge in the cool waters of the Bjelica river that flows through Guča. Whole hogs are roasted over flames, filling the air with the aroma of sizzling meat, and shots of rakija warm everyone's hearts. In a country with a tumultuous past and nationalistic sentiments, the Guča festival serves as a unifying force, bringing people together through the frenzied sounds of the Balkan trumpet.

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