Top International musicians playing at Jazz Voyeur Festival

GEORGE Benson will be opening the Jazz Voyeur Festival on 29 July at the Casino in Calvia.
Other International musicians will be joining George Benson in this year's Jazz Festival. Last year the festival was so successful that this year it will be spread over five months, from July through to November with some concerts to be held in the Auditorium in Palma and the Music Conservatory. Majorca will play host to many other International artists during these five months, such as Kool & The Gang, Paquito de Rivera, Roy Haynes, Brad Mehldau, and The Blind Boys of Alabama. The Majorcan photographer and Director of this event, Gerardo Cañellas, presented this musical extravaganza yesterday. He was accompanied by the Argentine Productor and Director of Pro Arts del Mon, Roberto Menéndez, the Director of the Sustainable Development Department, Pau Collado and the Director of the Balearic Tourism Institue (Ibatur), Raimundo Alabern. The timing of the event is to promote winter tourism on the island, explained Raimunod Alabern, and this year Ibatur have granted 35'000 euros to help fund the event. This year different venues are to be used so that there is adequate space for each type of concert. Given the great diversity of artists performing in the Jazz Voyeur Festival, locations of all sizes are needed to cope with public demands. As mentioned before, George Benson will be opening the festival on July 29 in the Gran Casino in Calvia. This location will also be used by Kool & The Gang, who will be performing on 10 September. On the other hand, Paquito de Rivera will present his show at the Auditorium on the Paseo Maritimo in Palma on 31 October. This date will coincide with the 50th anniversary of his musical career. The Assaig hall on the Son Castelló industrial estate will play host to Roy Haynes on the 5 November. Whilst Brad Mehldau, who is playing on 18 November, will be at the Musical Conservatory in Palma. The final performance of the jazz festival will be by The Blind Boys of Alabama, a gospel group, who will be performing on 25 November in the Auditorium in Palma. Other events will also complement the Jazz Voyeur Festival, such as special cinema showings, masterclass performances and exhibitions.
With reference to the special cinema showings, the musicians Miquel Angel Marin and Carles Robert will be performing classical music to the Chaplin film “Lights of the city” on 8 September. Tickets for the Jazz Voyeur Festival can be bought at the record shop Xocolat on calle Font i Monteros, 18 (tel 971 713316) or see Jazz Voyeur website for more information, www.jazzvoyeur.com.