Tbilisi prepares to host Caucasian jazz festival

Georgia’s capital city is preparing to welcome aspiring Jazz musicians from the wider region to attend the 6^th annual Kavkaz Jazz Festival.

Young musicians from around the Caucasus region, as well as Germany, Poland and Turkey will perform at the June 4-7 festival in Tbilisi.

The four-day event is a regarded as a chance for developing musicians to raise their global awareness, and this year the event will feature jazz and ethno music from participating nations.

Organisers of the event said this year’s event would bring together young and experienced musicians from diverse countries "to bridge a cultural dialogue among nations and exposure to emerging talents”.

Georgia’s ethno jazz band Stumrebi (Guests) will represent the country at the festival. The group combines modern jazz with Georgian traditional music.

Meanwhile three young Georgian musicians’ Papuna Sharikadze, Irakli Choladze and Giorgi Kiknadze will take to the stage as Papiragio Trio and perform modern jazz on behalf of Germany, where they are now based. The boys met each other two years ago and became close friends and musical partners.

One of the rising jazz stars from the South Caucasus Narine Dovlatyan will perform at the festival with Armenian band Imagine.

Also, Baku pianist Afgan Rasul will perform at the festival on behalf of Azerbaijan. Over the years he has participated in several international festivals, including at one of the most famous jazz festivals in the world – the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Famous Polish folk singer Joanna Slowinska will represent her country at the Kavkaz Jazz Festival. She is considered as a modern face of Polish traditional music.

The festival is supported by the Ministry of the Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and Tbilisi Cultural Events Centre.

Click here to see the schedule of the Kavkaz Jazz Festival.