Chucho Valdés and Yilian Cañizares at Vitoria Jazz Festival

July 17, 2024

Cuban rhythms and hip-hop will gain strength at the 47th edition of the Vitoria Jazz Festival, which will feature strong female representation, especially at the Teatro Principal in the Basque capital, which will serve as the prelude to the major concerts at the Mendizorroza Sports Complex, in an event that will open its curtain this Monday and close it on July 21.

The variety and magic of the artists' improvisation will be the basic ingredients of a program with 50 concerts to be held in various venues, with the Vitoria theater being a key location for the last time, before its major renovation.

Additionally, the main stage brings back Sunday programming with the novelty of hip-hop from Argentine rapper Trueno, which aims to attract younger audiences.

Mendizorroza will open on Wednesday, July 17 with the double bass of Vitoria native Pablo Martín Caminero, who will debut the stage with the NDR Bigband to showcase a vibrant fusion of cultures in an orchestral setting with a 17-member band from Hamburg's public radio.

Grammy Award-winning three-time Terri Lyne Carrington will take over with her drums to present her latest multidisciplinary project, New Standards Vol. 1.

On Thursday, Joel Ross will present his fourth album Nublues, in which he will showcase more modern jazz before virtuoso Cécile McLorin Salvan takes the stage, accompanied by pianist Sullivan Fortner, presenting her latest album Mélusine, full of nuances, ballads and nods to swing.

One of the most anticipated days will be Friday, July 19 with the music of Galician trio Sumrrá, which will take the stage with El Niño de Elche to highlight improvisation and surprise with a unique concert.

Fusion will play an interesting role with the presence of Michel Camilo and Tomatito, who will close the day with the presentation of their new work Spain forever again.

July 20 will be the most Cuban day with violinist Yilian Cañizares first and then the sound of Chucho Valdés, although everything points to the possibility that they could share the stage, as on other occasions.

At 82 years old, Valdés brings together in Vitoria some of the members of his group Irakere, which revolutionized Afro-Cuban music by fusing it with jazz, rock, classical music and popular Cuban rhythms.

The last day is reserved for younger audiences with the arrival of Trueno, who will unleash a storm of rhymes and rhythms with his fourth album, E.U.B.

The Argentine has 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 6 million subscriptions on his YouTube channel. It will be the cherry on top of a cake that will be adorned with more hip-hop and jazz bases with local group WRTH (We Rep The Hardest), a band that aims to make Vitoria's hip-hop scene more visible.

The Teatro Principal stage will open the week with a groundbreaking quartet led by the voice of Christie Dashiell. Acclaimed Myra Melford Fire will take over on Tuesday, July 16 to present her latest work with the Water Quintet, made up of virtuosos of their instruments.

Wednesday will launch the dual offer with the major concerts that can be followed at Mendizorroza. On that day, the Teatro will host talented pianist and composer Sylvie Courvoisier, who arrives with her new ensemble Chimaera and the trumpet of Wadada Leo Smith.

On the 18th, Catalan Clara Peya will present her latest album Corsé forming a very particular quintet. On the 19th will be Mexican guitarist Eddie Mejía with his quartet; and on the 20th, French pianist and composer Baptiste Trotignon will close the Principal's cycle.

It will be a week in which jazz will be breathed from all corners of a city that will embrace once again a Festival that will take to the streets to promote a special musical style.