10th MOSTAR BLUES FESTIVAL
July 19 – July 22, 2012
After introductory night in Mostar bars held on July 18, called Blues Corners, presenting groups from Slovenia, Montenegro and Holland started the traditional 10th Mostar Blues Festival.
The first night was held in the atrium of the Pavarotti Music Centre. After the opening ceremony, first appeared Zara Aksoj. Zara is only seven years old and she is the youngest participant of the festival in general, a true example that these events aims primarily to initiate the young into the world of music.
Accompanied by her father, Attila Aksoj, famous musicians, Zara performed a classic Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the audience was greeted her performance with ovations.
German-Israel band The Greenbaums, the musical direction built on the legendary style of Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac’s guitarist.
The energetic blues riffs, filled with great arrangements of harmonica, are the result of such influenza.
This band took advantage of its stay in Mostar to record a new album in the PMC recording studio.
After a great The Greenbaums performance, American blues diva, Sherrie Williams spoke to large audience, saying that this is her first appearance in this region, but that she is in an excellent mood for the concert.
Accompanied by her band The Wise Guys performed the most important compositions from her albums.
The whole performance was accompanied by direct contact with the audience, which is the quietest visitors drove to the singing and dancing.
Great Concert resulted with Sherrie Williams returning for an encore.
Again, the playing of American blues musicians gave a special atmosphere to the whole Festival.
After that night, the festival productions moved to the Sport’s Center "Kantarevac."
The reason was the great interest of the audience for the Festival program that follows.
The second festival night was opened by the Turkish band Sahte Raki. This band has eight members including the brass section, which allowed them to play the very wide repertoire of blues and rock classics. Although a young group, Sahte Raki performance thrilled everyone.
Excellent arrangements and a great selection of repertoire have resulted in frenetic reception of couple of thousand attendees.
After Sahte Raki performance, performed Josipa Lisac, the greatest artist of the region.
Her evening concert Mostar audience waited for decades, so her appearance on the stage provoked a standing ovation. From the legendary "Diary of a Love," to the present hits, the audience sang with Josipa.
Accompanied by a group of experienced musicians performed a concert that will be long remembered. Josipa’s concert had just one, eternal message - Love.
The third day of the Festival was opened by a young BH group La Grange.
In addition to quality musicianship, which was the reason they were included in the Festival program, this band also look attractive.
Their appearance on the stage completely and faithfully mimics legendary ZZ Top. That proved to be an excellent warm up for the iconic British Dr. Feelgood, a band sett up in 70’s.
At their first appearance in BH, playing their timeless hits and with barrage of riffs they brought up the atmosphere on concert to a head.
So, the bis was inevitable, and the audience showed us that they really ‘cries out’ for premium concerts.
Thousands of visitors raised their hands in the air welcoming Goran Bare and his, as he says- the ensemble, "Mother" on the stage.
We could not imagine a better closure of official program of Mostar Blues Festival than with this fantastic group and its charismatic leader.
Owners of several "Porin" awards, played songs from across their career, and the audience with euphoric singing was "carrying" Bare throughout the concert.
MBF ended in MC Pavarotti with fantastic concert of acoustic duo The Old Bridge, who played musical journey through the 60s and 70s.
In the opinion of audience, critics and the media, the tenth Mostar Blues Festival is the best and most visited festival so far.
All of this is a commitment for us in Organizational Team to make the next, eleventh Festival even better.
A big thank to partners, supporters and sponsors who believed in us.
Mostar Blues Festival Organizational Team
