9th INTERNATIONAL MOSTAR BLUES FESTIVAL
22.07. – 25.07.'11
9th Mostar Blues Festival has been completed successfully.
Four days program, according to the assessments of the media and the audience, offered the best quality program so far. Aiming to promote Blues between young people as well as the Festival itself, beside official Festival program, we have organized different concerts, blues music broadcasting and video projections in six Mostar café bars, which has improved as very good decision as all activities had a very good visit and interest of citizens and tourists.
As it is characteristic of session playing blues clubs, so we see combined performances of American, Macedonian and Mostar musicians.it is characteristic of session playing blues clubs so we had opportunities to see combined performances of American, Macedonian and Mostar musicians
We also staged a conversation between all interested young musicians, journalists and visitors with the members of Big Brothers &HC band. A large number of attendees learned about the details of the most important period in the history of rock’n’roll.
We continued the tradition of presenting young artists, which is one of the goals of MBF.
There was an exhibition of works by local artists, which was particularly interesting for foreign visitors.
Preparations for the three-day program on the big stage, the SC ‘’Kantarevac’’, began as on all major Festivals – with heavy rain.
The technical team was ready for that, so the whole program went smoothly.
The first came on the stage members of Macedonian band Crossroad Blues Band.
Although a relatively young group, they showed great knowledge of the blues harmonica arrangements with excellent guitar parts.
Busy schedule of concerts on the tour, led to the situation that Ana Popović with her Band has came practically out of the car right on the stage. And than we had the opportunity to enjoy the show, which the media considered as the one of the best in Mostar ever.
Ana’s guitar parts stopped the breath and her vocal, bursting with emotions, has sans her stories from her great blues albums. Her Band was just playing on the top level.
Program on the second day was opened by Ivan Vragolović, and considering the fact that he is the winner of Croatian Blues Challenge and the owner of the copyrights album recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, it was clear that he would offer a very interesting show.
After this, the great number of attendees with strong applause greeted appearing of Valtko Stefanovski and Mirslav Tadić on the stage. Rain began with first chords and then something happened which impressed duo on stage. Large number of attendees, despite the heavy rain, some without umbrellas, remain in place until the end of concert. It tells about the quality of Vlatko and Miroslav as well as what is the real Mostar’s audience.
Vlatko and Miroslav have given us almost two hours travelling the Balkans, a journey which can not be forgotten.
Tracks they have made
The last Festival’s night has appeared Livio Berak Trio, presenting itself in its own style, with a lot of energetic rock of 60’s and 70’s and some great blues tracks.
And then we simply went to San Francisco from the period of late 60’s.
Big Brother & The Holding Company is the cult of that time, and the concert that they played, the audience danced with them, just like in those time when that did it flowered children.
Distinctive arrangenments and the sound of their guitars have made the performance that acurately documents that time. Tracks, they have made with the great Janis, have been superbly performed by Mary Bridget Davies.
All Festival's program have been dedicated to the celebration of the hundredth aniversary of the birth of the most significant Delta Blues artist, Robert Johnson. Also, we have printed
T-shirts with the text of his legendary track Crossroads.
After a short break we will start with the preparation for the tenth Mostar Blues Festival.
We hope that we will justify the expectations.
Special thanks to Festival donors and supporters, media and all who have visited the Festival program.
