Friday, September 30, 2011

PORTUGAL/Azores: 12th ANGRAJAZZ Festival Internacional de Jazz de Angra do Heroísmo

Angrajazz - Festival Internacional de Jazz de Angra do Heroísmo, takes place at  Terceira Island. in the Azores, from 1 to 4 of October 2010.  Terceira is a small and beautiful island, with a population of 60 000 people.  The city of Angra do Heroísmo is classified as World Heritage Patrimony by UNESCO.

Angrajazz is organized by a non-profit association – Associação Cultural Angrajazz – with the support of Angra’s City Council, the Regional Departments of Culture and Tourism, and many private sponsors.  For the last eleven years a great number of the world’s most important jazz musicians have played at Angrajazz.  Please see our site www.angrajazz.com

This year takes place the 12th edition of Angrajazz.  It is a festival which is a reference in Portugal, one of the main cultural events of the Azores Islands, and one important promotional means for the city of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, and Azores Autonomous Region.

Angrajazz takes place at the Centro Cultural e de Congressos de Angra do Heroísmo, which is prepared as a big jazz club - 550 persons.  The Festival occurs in three nights, with double concerts. This year there will be groups from Portugal, France, Italy/Denmark, and USA.

The program opens on Friday 1st, with the Angrajazz Orchestra, followed by the Mingus Dinasty Septet.

The second day, Saturday 2nd, is dedicated to the Stefano Bollani Trio, and the portuguese singer Paula Oliveira and the Lisbones.

On the third day, Monday 4th , the french Orchestra National de Jazz ONJ, directed by Daniel Yvinec will open the night, and the festival will finish with Henri Texier’s Transatlantik Quartet, featuring Joe Lovano, Steve Swallow, and Aldo Romano.

As side events to the festival, there will be a lecture/conference with Italian jazz journalist Libero Farnè and various Portuguese jazz critics, a   CD fair with the presence of the main portuguese distributors and  expositions.

The pause on Sunday the 3rd, and the portuguese holiday on Tuesday 5th, give the visitors a chance to enjoy an extended week end, and the extra free time to discover the beautiful Terceira Island.