The week from 4 to 10 is highlighted in the cultural agenda of the Basque Country. The reason: the celebration of the first edition of the Hondarribian Jazz, an event called to place Hondarribia in the circuit of Basque festivals that make up Getxo, Vitoria and San Sebastian.
Long known for its culinary richness and unique beauty, the coastal town will host in its historic center different outdoor performances. Free of charge, locals and visitors will be able to enjoy daily jazz concerts in venues such as the Kasino Zaharra, the Plaza de Armas, the Plaza del Obispo and the Baluarte de la Reina. Tickets will also be on sale for the concerts of the great figures of international jazz that will take place at Itsas Etxea.
Among the headliners are prominent names on the international scene, such as James Francies, Viktorija Pilatovic and Diego Amador Trio.
This was announced at the official press conference held at the Kultur Etxea on Monday, June 20. The event was attended by the Mayor of Hondarribia, Txomin Sagarzazu; the Councilor for Economic Promotion, Maria Serrano and Joseba Cabezas, and the director of Hondarribian Jazz. The mayor wanted to “invite citizens, as well as those who will visit us, to enjoy jazz music in a unique atmosphere”, while betting on the continuity of the event: “The idea is to consolidate the festival over time”.
For her part, the councilwoman declared that Hondarribian Jazz “is in line with the main objectives we have in our Tourism Master Plan. In recent weeks, a great job has been done in the City Council, along with the team of Joseba Cabezas, to organize a jazz festival that we believe is of high quality and level.”
With an eye on future editions, the festival director, Joseba Cabezas, outlined two proposals on which the organization is working.
The first, “The New Thing European Jazz” section, is a firm commitment to young talent. It is a space reserved for the four most important jazz conservatories in Europe, which will choose the four best final projects to perform at Hondarribian Jazz.
The second is called “Woman In Hondarribian Jazz” (Itsas Etxea Auditoriuma) and will be a stage dedicated exclusively to the dissemination, promotion and development of jazz in a female key. Likewise, during the rest of the year the Kultur Etxea will host congresses, seminars, talks, colloquiums, conferences and exhibitions by women. Among them are professionals from the art industry, journalism, photography, graphic design, music production and plastic arts. In the words of Joseba Cabezas: “The presence of women in jazz music is very low, taking into account the high enrollment in European conservatories and the number of jazz bands or groups, which increasingly have more female instrumentalists. In Hondarribia we will work closely with members of Woman in Jazz with the aim of empowering female musicians.”