I wander along the lakeside promenade of Lugano with the hope that, once again, this year offers some spectacle that is truly worth to see and, why not, to photograph.
My favorite ones are the acrobatic shows, grotesque, ironic and exciting to see , they usually give a lot of hints for nice pictures.
Like every year I read the program accurately to have an idea of which shows would be of interest to me and in what order would be better to watch them and like every year, after half an hour, I have just forgotten it all. I randomly roam around trying to avoid the crowd and let myself be led by sounds and voices. Â
I'm talking about the Baskers Festival that every year at the end of June is raging all along the lake.
Enjoying a show is not easy, given the amount of tourists flooding the city in this period, and being able to take pictures is even harder. Good spots are hard to find and, most of the time, nobody sits still with their head so that having a clean shot can really become a dream. Sometimes I can sneak in among the kids who always have their own front-row place on the ground, that's fine with me, the show can commence. A nice clown, or better to say a nice broom tamer, is starting his show between two wings of kids with curiosity painted on their faces. It's a kind of show I've never seen before, my face camouflages itself pretty well amid those of the kids, definitely not for age but undoubtedly for curiosity.
Before it gets dark I try to get in the front-row for the acrobatic show in the central square and with a bit of luck I succeed. Four guys performing a show worthy of a circus, they are really talented and the large number of enthusiastic spectators around the stage proves it.
After a couple shows it's definitely time for a beer. I walk with the beer in one hand and the camera in the other, I enjoy a few drops in peace until I reach the Rivetta Tell where is starting the show of two jugglers. There aren't many people yet and a front-row place is guaranteed, I can't miss this opportunity, I sit down and the show starts. The beer can wait a while. This is a good time to take pictures. The light is starting to get interesting as well, the sun has just set and the lighting is on, definitely a captivating mix. The interaction between the jugglers and the audience is beautiful, they speak in 4 languages at the same time and apparently everyone can understand. Maybe the gestures are enough to be understood or maybe since we are in Switzerland everyone speaks more or less 4 languages. It's a joyful babel that recurs every year.
I'm not the only one drinking beer, the atmosphere is getting warmer and the first spontaneous performances of the evening begin, honestly they're nothing special, but tonight there's a skateboarder challenging himself; flying higher and higher.
As the night progresses, the jugglers' shows are replaced by countless concerts. Not all of them are really attractive but there is my favorite stage that hardly fails. Always great music, often electronic; it's time for the Jungle.
There's psychedelia in the air tonight as well as a host of other aromas. She plays solo with her keyboard and few magic lights turn her into a superstar. The music is beautiful, people are dancing and my camera goes into action.Â
After such a concert hardly something catches my attention again and in fact I decide to head home. Along the way I have to pass in front of the main stage, where they play until late at night and when I pass nearby I understand that it's still not time to say good night; an American ultra-glamorous band has just started the concert.
On the left, near the loudspeaker, I can still see a free space and in a moment I am standing beneath the stage. The singer is an eccentric performer, with a beautiful voice and a wild transgressive energy. Iâm finally enjoying another fantastic concert, my camera surrenders to the overtime.