The beginning of this month will take place in Riga under the sign of the International Improvisation, Jazz and Global Music Festival “Riga Rhythms 2021” – especially for concerts at VEF Culture Palace, which will offer performances of several truly recognizable foreign greats.
This Friday, July 2, Grammy nominees, powerful global music supergroup “Bokanté” will perform at VEF Culture Palace, and on July 3 – Spanish saxophonist and singer Antonio Lizana, who plays in the new flamenco style.
Bokanté was founded by Michael League, also known as the leader of the legendary jazz rock band Snarky Puppy. “Bokanté” means “exchange” in Guadeloupe’s Creole language, and it is from this Caribbean island that the band’s glorious vocalist Malika Tirolina comes from. The two will be joined by seven other great musicians in Riga, including Roosevelt Collier, an American lap steel guitarist who has already proven himself at the Art of Riga Jazz series, and Bob Lanzetti, a guitarist playing in the Snarky Puppy group. . “Seeing us as a group of people from five countries and four continents, each with its own story and background, all coexisting to create a harmonious, ‘grumpy’ and lively sound, is already a message in itself,” emphasizes Lige, adding that Malika sings not only about joyful things, but also about various problems in today ‘s complex world. In both Creole and French, Malika vividly draws nuanced scenes from situations that are not unfamiliar to the people of the 21st century – the refugee crisis, a dying planet, apathy towards human suffering. However, Bokanté also does not forget to emphasize the things that unite us all, as well as gives hope for the future of humanity. In Riga, the band will perform with the program of both their albums – “Strange Circles” and “What Heat”.
Antonio Lizana’s accompanying group, on the other hand, went on a concert tour in their full ensemble, which also includes two flamenco dancers, a flamenco guitarist and a jazz quartet. “This will be our first visit to your city and almost the first international performance after the pandemic, so we are very happy to have the opportunity to share our music with listeners in Riga,” says Antonio Lizana. “Our idea is to create a concert where listeners can enjoy a musical journey from the roots of flamenco to the depths of contemporary jazz music, so we travel with our full group, two flamenco dancers, a flamenco guitarist and a jazz quartet.” Antonio Lizana is one of the most famous representatives of the new flamenco jazz from the south of Spain. Jazz saxophonist, flamenco singer and composer has performed with his band in more than 30 countries, performing at festivals such as Womex, Etnosur, SXSW Austin, London, New York and San Francisco flamenco festivals, Barcelona Voll Damn, and Shanghai jazz. festival, the Casablanca Jazz Festival and the Flamenco Biennale in the Netherlands.
The format of the main concerts of the 21st edition of the festival at VEF Culture Palace will be adapted both for listeners vaccinated against Covid-19 or already sick during the last six months, who will be able to present a printed or stored Covid-19 certificate and for those who can present the last 48 hours. a Covid-19 test during the last six hours or a Covid-19 rapid test with negative results within the last six hours. Taking into account the still established epidemiological restrictions, the organizers of the festival “Rīgas Ritmi 2021” have decided to offer to listen to the performances of both the group “Bokante” and Antonio Lizana online, thus covering a much larger circle of music gourmands than who will be in the hall. Both face-to-face and online tickets can be purchased at aula.lv.
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