Ethno Jazz Festival
Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Imany and Mariza are part of the Ethno Jazz Festival story. We have co-organised the festival in Wrocław since 2008. It is one of the most important projects in LIONSTAGE’s history.
- Co-organising
- Since 2008
- City
- Wrocław
- Programme
- Jazz, soul, fado and music from around the world
International stars of Ethno Jazz Festival
We have helped shape Ethno Jazz Festival in Wrocław since 2008. Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Chris Botti, Al Di Meola, Kenny Garrett and Avishai Cohen feature in that story with different bands and programmes. They are joined by Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Stacey Kent, Kurt Elling, Basia Trzetrzelewska and AYỌ, among many others. The festival has room for large shows at Centennial Hall and Hala Orbita as well as intimate performances in clubs, churches and the White Stork Synagogue.
Cesária Évora’s morna and Mariza’s fado shared the festival with Angélique Kidjo and Richard Bona, the Saharan guitars of Tinariwen and the Balkan brass of Fanfare Ciocărlia. Nigel Kennedy performed with Kroke, Jan Garbarek with The Hilliard Ensemble, while Yasmin Levy drew on Ladino song and Argentine tango. Each show called for its own arrangements with the artists and a venue that suited the music.
Ethno Jazz Festival
What we did
- Artist booking and contracting
- We manage booking from selecting artists for the programme through to finalising the contract. We check availability and tour routing, negotiate fees and performance terms with agents and management, and agree contracts, payment schedules and settlement arrangements.
- Technical and hospitality advancing
- We advance technical and hospitality riders, the touring line-up, backline, stage plans and soundcheck schedules. We reconcile the artists’ requirements with the venue’s facilities and give production crews the agreed specifications before the performers arrive.
- Travel and artist liaison
- We coordinate travel, transfers, accommodation and backstage arrangements. We liaise with tour managers, track arrivals, rehearsals and show times, and handle changes, providing a consistent point of contact from preparation through to the end of the performance.
Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin and Chris Botti
Herbie Hancock brought “The Imagine Project” to Centennial Hall, reworking songs from several traditions. The album brought together artists including Pink, Seal, India.Arie and Jeff Beck, and its Grammy-winning “Imagine” showed how jazz could connect with pop and music from around the world.
At Hala Orbita, Bobby McFerrin made melody, rhythm and improvisation from the voice alone. His four-octave range, scat and vocal percussion allow one performer to sound like a whole band. Chris Botti also returned to the venue with his band and music from the Grammy-winning “Impressions”.
Pat Metheny, Chick Corea and masters of improvisation
Pat Metheny performed in Wrocław with Antonio Sánchez, Gwilym Simcock and Linda May Han Oh. Chick Corea appeared in a duet with Gary Burton and in an electric setting with the Elektric Band, featuring John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Eric Marienthal and Frank Gambale.
Avishai Cohen brought his own projects to Wrocław, and Kenny Garrett played material from “Do Your Dance!” at Impart. In “Beatles & More”, Al Di Meola performed his own arrangements of Beatles songs recorded at Abbey Road.
Cesária Évora, Mariza, Angélique Kidjo and music from around the world
Cesária Évora and Mariza performed at Centennial Hall. Cape Verdean music returned to the programme when Lura, Sara Tavares and Mário Lúcio paid tribute to Évora at the White Stork Synagogue. Angélique Kidjo played the festival anniversary, and its history also features Richard Bona, Tinariwen, Tomatito, Fanfare Ciocărlia, Asaf Avidan and Shabaka and the Ancestors.
From Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright to Stacey Kent
Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright sang at the White Stork Synagogue, and Reeves returned for a show at the Student Culture Zone. The programme also spans the intimate jazz of Stacey Kent, AYỌ’s personal take on soul and Joe Bonamassa’s blues rock. When musicians return, audiences get to hear them with a fresh repertoire or a different band.
Artist gallery
Ethno Jazz Festival
Selected projects
17 selected projects
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