TIRANA, July 23 – Seven international jazz bands are participating in the fourth edition of jazz festival in Albania, an annual summer event which is becoming a tradition during July touring different Albanian cities at the peak of tourist season.
Hungary’s East 2 East, Austria’s Lylit trio, the Albanian-Greek Cool Balkan Trio, Turkey’s Mircan Kaia, Montenegro’s Nikcevic & Bulatovic guitar duo, Italy’s Enzo Favata “Inner Roads” quartet and the Israeli-French Inbar Fridman quartet are the seven bands that will perform in Tirana, Elbasan, Saranda and Shkodra from July 21 to 26.
“With its goals of bringing in diverse talents from different nations the festival hopes to continue its reach and popularity to the Tirana community as well as to different cities of Albania such as Shkodra, Korca, Fier, Himara. It’s also the intent of the festival to highlight, feature and share the stage with world and Albanian class artists,” organizers say.
Gent Rushi, the festival’s artistic director, says this year’s novelty is gastronomy which will accompany the festival in all its venues.
“This year we have two targets. There is the ‘green jazz’ which involves parts of jazz music dedicated to the protection of the environment, a formula used almost all over the world. Our second goal is achieving a combination of gastronomy with jazz music,” says Rushi, a renowned pianist and composer who leads the Genti Rushi jazz trio.
