I'm cordially greeting you on the website of the Kanizsa International Jazz and World Music Festival. During the past three decades the name of Nagykanizsa was traditionally connected with the jazz festival. Many of us still remember the so-called 'heroic age' of jazz fans wearing blue jeans and backpacks, the concerts held in high spirits, and the jam sessions that were organized at the local brewery and in the Hevesi Sándor Culture Hall. Since then the world has changed a lot. The backpacks have disappeared, many people put on suits instead of blue jeans and the atmosphere of the concerts has also changed...
But there's one thing that has never changed: we all need good music so we listen to the music of our favourite jazz musicians from Hungary and abroad with pleasure. And we expect this weekend every year when jazz fans come together again here in Nagykanizsa. It's so nice to see good old friends who have moved to other cities but always come back for this very special occasion. We are sure that excellent jazz music, fine dishes, good drinks and the nice atmosphere of the festival brings friends and acquaintances together. We are preparing for the celebration of jazz all year round just like we do before the most important family gatherings.
Two years ago the festival got a new name in the attitude of a new conception and it became jazz and world music festival. These days we can see that jazzmen and folk musicians frequently share the same stage and they successfully create joint musical productions while giving concerts. So, we think we should adjust ourselves to this new trend of musical variety. The genre bounds have already been passed through by the stream of music and the audience has become more and more sensitive for these musical delicacies.
The new website of the Kanizsa International Jazz and World Music Festival would like to contribute to the success of the festival. We would like to give you more information about the festival and we intend to preserve the most important events of the festival for the future generations of jazz fans. We also would like to record the history of the festival and introduce the organizers and all those taking part in the happenings of the festival through the forthcoming years. In this way we would like to influence the younger generation to join the jazz and world music festivals in the future. The content of the website will continually be increased so it will be worth browsing on it from time to time.
The joint concert by Ferenc Snétberger and Tony Lakatos will be one of the most outstanding programmes of this year's festival. The concerts of these two world-famous musicians have already been admired by jazz fans all over Europe and we are very happy to listen to their concert here in Nagykanizsa, as well. The concert given by the Norbert Farkas Quartet featuring Rob Bargad and Michael Erian may serve as another musical delicacy just like a concert by the Hungarian Jazz Quartet. You will also enjoy the concert by Maskura and the Swarm of Crickets and the performance by Tárkány Works including a lady singer with a wonderful voice. The talented young local musician Mátyás Gayer - the winner of the jazz piano competition organised by the Hungarian Radio - will give an excellent concert for the audience with his friends from the Graz University of Jazz. The second night of this year's festival will be closed by the hot-atmosphered concert given by Iván Tiborcz who celebrates his fiftieth brithday. At the beginning of the concert Iván Tiborcz will be appearing on the stage with his trio then he will be performing with all the musicians he has played together so far in his artistic career.
We are cordially inviting you to the Kanizsa International Jazz and World Music Festival and till then you are welcome to our website!
Tibor Farkas
Director
Kanizsai Kulturális Központ
