Studio 14, Radio Slovenia.
Esteemed awardees, colleagues, and friends,
Compared to last year, we can observe a general improvement in the quality of lyrics, music, and arrangements among the chansons that entered the competition. This year’s chansons exhibit fewer verbal and musical clichés, more inventiveness, and, in some cases, a spontaneous and expressive character. These qualities are particularly welcome in chanson compositions, as they contribute to a sense of naturalness over time—one that makes people remember these songs, quote their lyrics, whistle or hum their melodies. Such compositions can serve multiple purposes, including as musical accompaniment for various media productions.
The chansons presented this year vary significantly in style, offering something for every festival listener—whether cabaret, blues, jazz, swing, or punk. This diversity made the selection of the best chanson a particularly challenging task. It seems that one of the most crucial aspects of any musical work, regardless of genre, is the completeness of its artistic message. We must ask ourselves: can we listen to a song ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, before it loses its appeal—be it musically, lyrically, or in terms of performance? Music that continuously offers something new, that surprises and excites us again and again, is timeless. I am confident that, regardless of which chanson wins, all of these songs will find their place on the airwaves, and we will gladly listen to them over and over, without feeling the urge to switch stations or turn off the radio. I am delighted that the Chanson Festival fosters the creation of new, high-quality Slovenian popular music—music that is not driven by commercial pragmatism but instead seeks its own innovative form of expression, with critical reflection and heartfelt sincerity. Such music has the potential for longevity. Since ancient times, discussions about beauty and artistic value have been endless, as every individual perceives art differently. However, when evaluating a musical work, numerous objective criteria come into play—innovation, compositional skill, poetic depth, arrangement quality, and performance. A creator is naturally attached to their own work, making it difficult to objectively assess its quality in comparison to others. Similarly, listeners tend to favor certain musical genres, and different groups—distinguished by age, cultural background, and aesthetic preferences—may evaluate music with inherent biases. The role of the jury is to transcend such subjectivity and assess musical works as objectively as possible. The jury considers how these compositions will evolve over time and which of them possess the strongest “genetic makeup” to stand the test of time. Due to various editorial policies, some songs receive extensive radio airplay for a period, only to disappear for years—sometimes forever—once their moment has passed. Music that endures is usually high-quality music. Time is, therefore, the ultimate judge, and music competition juries must remain keenly aware of this. Their goal is to evaluate in a forward-thinking, constructive manner—one that motivates musicians to continue producing quality work. The jury of the Slovenian Chanson Festival 2010 approached its task with this mindset, aiming to encourage the development of Slovenian chanson while celebrating artistic excellence.
Dr. Žiga Stanič,
member of the jury