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"Rigas ritmi" festival got under way

BC, Riga, 02.07.2015.Print version

The fifteenth annual "Rigas ritmi" festival got under way yesterday, as "Rigas ritmi" advertising manager Lelde Zake told LETA.

 

In 2015, "Rigas ritmi" features over twenty performances, six workshops, and the "Rigas Ritmi Showcase" program where Latvian performers will be presenting themselves to guests and music experts from abroad.

 

The three main concerts of the festival will be on July 2, 3 and 4 at the Riga Congress Center. Performing in the concerts will be Raul Midon, "Bugge 'N' Friends", "Fresu&Bonaventura", Ester Rada, Ramon Valle, and Allan Harris together with the Latvian Radio Big Band.

 

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midon will give a concert on July 2. The New Mexico native, blind since birth, has released seven albums since 1999. He has collaborated with such jazz legends as Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. The other part of the July 2 concert presents the international contemporary jazz and electronic project "Bugge 'N' Friends", which includes Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, French trumpeter Erik Truffaz, Turkish saxophonist Ilhan Ersahin, U.S. deejay Joaquin "Joe" Claussell, Norwegian bassist Marius Reksjø, and Norwegian drummer Andreas Bye.

 

The "Fresu&Bonaventura" duo – trumpet player Paolo Fresu and bandoneon player Daniele di Bonaventura – will perform on July 3. The second part of the concert on July 3 will feature the Ethiopian-born Israeli singer Ester Rada. Combining R&B, Ethio-Jazz, reggae and classic funk, Rada's music has earned her critical raves and performances around the world.

 

Cuban pianist Ramon Valle will perform on July 4, and the "Rigas ritmi" concerts at the Riga Congress Center will close with a performance by the "Tribute to Nat King Cole" project dedicated to the American jazz legend Nat King Cole. "Unforgettable", "L-O-V-E", "When I Fall in love", "Mona Lisa" and other songs will be performed by the American singer Harris together with the Latvian Radio Big Band.

 

All these concerts start at 7 p.m.

 

The festival opened on July 1 at 5 p.m. with a free concert at the "Origo Summer Stage", featuring "Bunch of Gentlemen" and artists participating in the "Riga Jazz Presents" project. There will also be free concerts at the open-air leisure venue "Egle". Also this year, the festival's program includes concert series "OlainFarm Jazz Nights" at the Daugava Concert Hall, and concerts at Kanepe Culture Center. Some of the most prominent artists to perform in these concerts are the Argentine "new Gypsy tango" band "Zingaros", French jazz performer Cyrille Aimee, Luxembourgian trio "Reis/ Demuth/ Wiltgen", Daumants Kalniņš Quintet and many more.

 

The "Rigas ritmi" workshops will take place at the Latvian Radio Studio 1 from July 1 through July 4.

 

The first "Rigas ritmi" festival took place July 2001; since then, around 500 artists from over twenty countries have performed more than 500 concerts for an audience of more than 150 000 people.

 

Tickets to "Rigas ritmi" concerts are available from "Bilesu serviss" outlets.

 





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