Overview
Jazzy tunes have been enriching the neighbourhood of Aglanjia, Nicosia for the last 11 years during the summery Aglanjazz festival. This year it’s back for its 12th annual festival inviting artists from all over the world including France, Spain, Holland and Slovakia.
The old square of Aglanjia will be filled over two days (26th & 27th of June) with live concerts where festival-goers can indulge in jazz sounds under the Cyprus summer skies. Aglanjazz gathers heaps of people each year as the square turns into an open-air music hall. And what makes listening to jazz performances even more enjoyable is sipping an ice cold beer sold by nearby stands or even diving into a souvlaki at one of the taverns close by.
Performances will start a 20:45 on both days and go on until about midnight. Entrance is free.
This year’s program includes:
Tuesday 26.6
20:45 Cyprus – Glavkos Kontemeniotis Quartet
New York based pianist, Glafkos Kontemeniotis is a gem of a musician. Based in the Mecca of jazz for over thirty years now, he has performed in such diverse venue, attracting attention from acclaimed reviewers and knowing listeners. His work has been described as ‘unmistakably personal’, a sound that incorporates elements and echoes from various musical and emotional experiences. The pianist weaves jazz, traditional and classical music into a recognizable personal style that brings cross-cultural art to new heights.
Glafkos Kontemeniotis – piano
Alexander Gagatsis – vibraphone
Irineos Koulouras – bass
Ioannis Vafeas – drums
21:45 France – Daniel Zimmermann Quartet
Trombonist of the last group of Claude Nougaro and the Maraboutik Band of Manu Dibango, founder of the group DPZ with Thomas De Pourquery, winner of the first prize (as a soloist) at the Competition of the Defense in 2002, guest soloist of the Gnawa Festival of Essaouira in 2010, Daniel Zimmermann was in 2014 the first trombonist nominated for the Victoires du Jazz, for his album “Bone Machine”. He has recorded albums and film music with countless artists and he regularly performs in France and abroad with various artists. Daniel Zimmermann is a spontaneous soloist, his style is characterized by a very clear sound, a flexible and agile phrasing, an interweaving of funk, pop and New Orleans influences.
Daniel Zimmermann – trombone and composition
Pierre Durand – guitar
Matthias Allamane – bass
Julien Charlet – drums
22:45 Spain – Chicuelo and Marco Mezquida
Guitar maestro ‘Chicuelo’ Juan Gómez joins forces with jazz pianist Marco Mezquido and ‘they surpass known patterns of flamenco jazz’ (Jazz Thing). Chicuelo and Mezquida made a surprising move last year with the release of their first collaborative album Conéxion. Accompanied by percussion only, they gave room to all aspects of each other’s playing. Barcelona is a major source of inspiration, as a Mediterranean metropolis and meeting point of many cultures. ‘Chicuelo’ Juan Gómez is currently considered a major innovator of the flamenco guitar, following in the footsteps of the legendary Paco de Lucía. His talent as a composer and songwriter has been awarded with a prestigious Goya Award. Now he will join forces with another great musician from Catalonia, pianist Marco Mezquida, who makes a logical connection between jazz, classical music and flamenco. He is among the most brilliant and promising musicians that have arisen in the Spanish musical scene in decades, and has already recorded more than forty albums, of which ten as a band leader and composer.
Marco Mezquida – piano
Juan Gómez ‘Chicuelo’ – flamenco guitar
Paco de Mode – percussion
Wednesday 27.6
20:45 Cyprus, The Netherlands – Takoushis-Karapatakis Project featuring Udo Demandt
The Takoushis-Karapatakis Project was formed in 2008. Their music, based on and developed from the fundamentals of jazz improvisation and individual self-expression, displays original ideas which are inspired by the music traditions of the Mediterranean. And while it does not engage in loud and ostentatious conversations with these traditions, it brings about “memories”, which are stemming from the two artists’ motherland but also from the evolution of the jazz genre, and are deeply embedded, inseparably intertwined even, in the Project’s musical corpus. The Takoushis-Karapatakis Project’s discography has received critical and audience acclaim all over the world, and their music has been included in the EBU’s jazz album, The Music of Europe. They have released the album Sympnoia (2010), Seven Miles East (2012) and Colours of Another Sky (2015).
Marios Takoushis – piano / compositions
Gabriel Karapatakis – bass / compositions
Udo Demandt – percussions
21:45 Greece – Noir Sessions
The Band was formed in January of 2018, in Athens. It is a musical collective, aiming at the interpretation of original compositions and minimal adaptations. The team’s biographies include a wide range of noteworthy collaborations and international awards, as well as a variety of performances at National and International Festivals, Musical Scenes and Theaters in Greece and the rest of the world. This resulted in the group’s name Noir Sessions, which is a poetic translation of the members’ “Night Performances”.
Vaso Dimitriou – compositions, electric guitar, classical guitar and tusk
Stefanos Dimitriou – drums
Anastasios Katsaris – tenor saxophone
Panagiotis Bourazanis – electric bass
Nicolas Anadolis – piano
22:45 Slovakia – GrooveHub
A jazz trio which doesn’t play jazz. GrooveHub’s original compositions rumble with powerful melodies, piercing unisons and huge grooves. Their music crosses boundaries of traditional music genres and is set to appeal to all fans of energetic instrumental music. The trio aims to blend interesting themes and excellent technical execution to create a thrilling listening experience. They have released two albums (Enter The Hub, Glasses & Hats) and have been featured as the opening act to a Victor Wooten Trio show in their home country of Slovakia.
Lubomír Sramo – keyboards
Adam Hudec – bass guitar
Radovan Vallach – drums
