The next 5th, 6th and 7th June will take place the first edition of Formentera Jazz Festival

The paradise island of Formentera, the epicentre of jazz music

The next 5^th, 6^th and 7^th June will take place the first edition of Formentera Jazz Festival

www.formenterajazzfestival.com

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The festival confirms the first wave of artists among which are the renowned Cuban trumpeter Carlos Sarduy, the voice of the brasilian Nêga Lucas, the local formation XBlues Connotation, and the selectors Fred Guzzo and Golfo de Guinea.

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From 5^th to 7^th June, this pristine paradise that is Formentera will host the first edition of Formentera Jazz Festival.

Located in a privileged corner of the Mediterranean, throughout its history, the smallest island of the Pitiusas has always been the subject of many legends, both in novels written by famous writers (see Jules Verne, among others) and lived in the flesh and blood during its passage through this corner of the Balearic Islands (Bob Dylan, Gilberto Gil, Pink Floyd and Bob Marley during the 60’s and 70’s). No wonder that this wonderful environment was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999!

With the support of the Island Council, and because of the initiative of the musician (ex Ojos de Brujo) and cultural producer Maxwell Moya, raised in Formentera and now teacher at the Berklee College of Music, the festival was born as a unique musical space in one place and with the elegance and freedom that means jazz music.

The Plaça de Sant Francesc will be one of the stages of the Festival which already counts with the renowned Cuban trumpeter Carlos Sarduy, the voice of the brasilian Nêga Lucas, the local band XBlues Connotation as well as the selectors Fred Guzzo and Golfo de Guinea between their first confirmations.

In the coming weeks, the festival will confirm other artists, times and spaces of the first edition of Formentera Jazz Festival.

Considered the most important Cuban trumpet player Carlos Sarduy, it’s also a percussionist and composer and undoubtedly one of the main references of the current Cuban jazz in Spain

At the age of 16, he won his first award in the jazz competition “Jojazz” and with 19 years released his solo album “ Charly en la Habana” , in which he collaborated with Chucho Valdés, Germán Velazco, Amadito Valdés, Teresa García Caturla y Roberto Carcasses among others famous musicians. This album was nominated to the Cubadisco Awards in the Jazz category.

When he was 20 years old, he came to Europe and became part of the World Music jazz scene playing with “Ojos de Brujo”, Nitin Sawhney, Esperanza Spalding, Bebo Valdés, Yasmin Levy, Elefteria Arvanitaki, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Julio Barreto, Duquende, Mariza, Rosario, Ainoa Arteta, Orishas. Becoming a regular collaborator of the musical producer Javier Limón. He won a GRAMMY Latino in 2007 with the band “Ojos de Brujo”, and he had a nomination in 2011. In 2010 he participated in Chucho Valdés & Concha Buika’s album “El último trago”, which also won a GRAMMY Latino.

Carlos Sarduy has played in the most important stages and festivals of Europe, Asia and America, such as the London Jazz Festival, Barbican Centre of London, North See Jazz Festival, Puri Jazz Festival, Festival Roskilde, Madrid Jazz Festival, Barcelona Jazz Festival, Anciénne Belgique in Brusels, Womadadelaide, Pirineos Sur, Roun House, Midem, Opera House of Sidney, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Oslo World Music Festival, Bérgamo Jazz Festival….

DOWNLOAD + INFO, PHOTOS, VIDEOS and LINKS ABOUT CARLOS SARDUY

Nêga Lucas, natural Brazilian singer of Minas Gerais, printed in his music the influences that permeate his career, starting in Brazil, singing funk, samba and Afro-Brazilian music, from Latin American music, up to the strong presence of jazz and merges it with the rhythmic-variety of songs.Owner of a powerful and strong voice, a stunning stage presence as soon as performative, Nêga plays with singing, improvising, electrifies and mixes elements of your music with much originality.

Nêga Lucas has just finished her second album with the same spirit as she´s been managing her whole career: between two continents. She drew her musical path by traveling from her homeland, Minas Gerais, up to Barcelona, where she got to work with musicians from all over the world, and where she could find ways to discover unexplored places like India and Morocco. Nêga mixes samba, her first musical reference, with latin music, afro-brazilian and jazz, transforming her work into a hybrid full of colors, like a chameleon.

DOWNLOAD + INFO, PHOTOS, VIDEOS and LINKS ABOUT NÊGA LUCAS

Xblues Connotation. Formed in Formentera in 1993, when Bruce (drums) and Tony (cornet and violin) Gartell twins began playing with Formentera’s bassist Vicent Rosello, giving regular summer concerts in Plaça de Sant Francesc since 1994; they are now a local institution.

Among the usual band members are Enrique González (guitar), José Guzmán (trombone) and Santi Ramírez (trumpet).

They have worked with artists such as Joachim Kuhn, Jorge Pardo, Nils Landgren, Carlos Sarduy.

DOWNLOAD + INFO, PHOTOS, VIDEOS and LINKS ABOUT Xblues Connotation.

Golfo de Guinea is music of the world selector settled in Barcelona. His set takes centre in Africa but expands to Latin America and Brazil showing a wide range of black music.

Golfo de Guinea DJ Selector is the well known name for who has spent the last past years in Equatorial Guinea. Although, having participated in various artistic projects (theatre, music, poetry and radio), is in tropical Africa where he plunges into different styles from the black continent (soukous, ebolassa, Makossa, afrobeat, highlife, afrofunk and so on). In this trip, he is not going alone and assembles a band of reggae alongside the Congolese Dechaux Mwamba and the Beloved Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and consequently Encora to Bessoso, master of the Equatorial Guinean music.

Back in Barcelona in 2009, undergoes a pleasant reunion with his old LPs of soul, funk and Latin, adding LPs from Africa collected in the nearly three years of absence. And, of course, begins to DJ with them. Monothematic or “cross” sessions that can move from highlife to cumbia and from this to reggae without losing the main line.

When seems to have already left live music, creates «Recolectors Soundsystem» with the musician, DJ and producer Wagner Pa (Brazelona sessions, Brazuca Matraca) in a combination of DJ music and instruments with voices in vivo. The session is led by Golfo de Guinea and sung by Wagner Pa.

In 2012 Recolectors and Brazuca Matraca (Wagner Pa’s band) fuse on a tour to Brazil, performing in countless gigs in different cities like Sao Paolo, Curitiba, Brasilia, Florianopolis, BH and Rio de Janeiro.

Once back to Barcelona, Golfo de Guinea, continued in his arduous task of finding great songs in the most unexpected places, with the most timeless times without losing the sense of present in the «Global» concept concerns.

Regularly combining, recorded music with live musicians, he has been able to do it with Carlos Sarduy, Max Moya, Wagner Pa, Alejo Calderón, Jonas Santana and many international artists. It might take you by the sounds of a more jazzy world or make a night of debauchery to the rhythm of afrobeat, salsa, boogaloo, cumbia, afrofunk and soul.

GOLFO DE GUINEA IS BLACK MUSIC FOR ALL COLORS.

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Since he became a DJ in 1986, Fred Guzzo has defined its own style within the black grooves. In a journey that goes from jazz to funk and boogaloo, or jump from house to reggae. It was one of the first active members of Acid Jazz festivals organized in France and Switzerland.

In 2000, settled in Barcelona and created Café Royale, where he was clicking and scheduling live music for over 13 years. Café Royale was named best bar / club in Europe during two years by the New York edition of Cosmopolitan magazine, becoming a meeting point for artists passing through town as Danny Krivit, Thievery Corporation, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Kerri Chandler or Guru.

With Fred Spider has created the label 2siders, based on their respective influences of jazz and black music, in general. He was the resident and developer at Red Club, Barceloneta and now he is also DJ resident at the famous beach bar in Arenys de Mar, Lasal.

But Fred Guzzo, has launched his most personal project, GUZZO, the specialized black music club which is also a restaurant as well as an art gallery and a street art exhibition space where B -Toy, Ernest Zacharevic or Ripo have already exhibited.