The annual Baku International Jazz Festival was held in Azerbaijan’s capital between 6-15 October.
The 18th edition of the Festival welcomed 19 musicians including Grammy Award winners. The festival program consisted of not only performances but also lectures, an awards ceremony, an exhibition and wine tasting.
Held since 2005, the festival has become one of the most popular events among Baku residents and visitors in the capital.
Arranged in five different venues, the events attracted a huge number of visitors. One of the most popular was the exhibition by artist Eldar Gurbanov.
He is one of the few artists in Azerbaijan whose works are made in the style of primitivism. Jazz Colours triggered a lot of discussions and drew the attention of many art lovers.
“This exhibition was inspired by jazz,” Eldar Gurbanov told Cult. “Because I do love it and have been listening to it since I was a child. I used to listen to Willis Conover after midnight. I united my old and new works and made this exhibition.”
Another participant is the London-based Brazilian composer, arranger, singer and guitar player Mario Bakuna, whose band presented their album Brazilian Landscapes. The album is dedicated to the Brazilian people and was inspired by Bakuna’s travels around the country.
The musician has already played it in 16 European countries, and this year the Azerbaijani audience had a chance to enjoy Brazilian rhythms with all their harmonic richness.
“I really like the way I use the voice as an instrument,” revealed Mario Bakuna. “The mouth trumpet is something [which] connects me better with the phrases, and it is something, you know, very special.”
