Gaeta Jazz Festival
At Lido Ariana on June 28th, surrounded by a breathtaking sunset and a crystal-clear sea, the Nigerian-born, Berlin-based singer, songwriter, and producer Wayne Snow performed. The artist moves between Afro-futurism, nu-soul, and alt-pop: an irresistible mix that fully represents the identity and exploration of the Gaeta Jazz Festival.
Via Flavia Fiengo
The event was, in fact, a preview of the festival’s 16th edition, scheduled from July 10 to 14. Known for being one of Italy's most prestigious and sought-after events, each year the Associazione Culturale Armonia International Foundation of Arts, driven by a passion for jazz (and music and arts in general), weaves a tapestry of incredible musicians, attracting people from all over Italy to the splendid setting of Gaeta, offering a unique experience.
We had a chat with Fabio Sasso, the festival's artistic director, about this wonderful experience that is about to begin. An experience salt-flavored, rich in good vibes, dawns caressed by the sound of the piano, sunsets full of groove, concerts with breathtaking views, and DJ sets under the stars, the festival is all this: an experience that goes beyond the simple lineup.
Via Flavia Fiengo
"I think it's the experience that leaves you a core memory; this year we tried to think about what Gaeta has to offer besides the sea - for example: walks on Monte Orlando, yoga at sunset, morning brunches. Basically, we thought about other activities that could be integrated because you have to come to Gaeta not just for the festival, but you have to enjoy the experience of being in that place; that’s what characterizes everything - the sea, the trekking, the culture. Italy is difficult, but this year we are succeeding, good things are happening too; Gaeta is getting lively. For this edition, we have made agreements for accommodations (something I thought would never be possible), many have offered to create hospitality plans with discounts in agreement with the festival for those who need to stay for the duration of the event."
"Another amazing thing has been the preview at Ariana, the owner Antonio Buttaro has gone from being a supporter to main sponsor and has never backed down. We also made collaborations in Rome, with MONK; this year Illa J came to play, and we made an introduction to the festival - we also did this pre-pandemic with a sort of artist showcase. We brought the tiella (a typical Gaetan dish), and organized a lot of things to bring Gaeta into Rome - not because we care about something in particular, but because we care and think about Gaeta as a city, which is different. You don't just live the concert, but you experience everything at 360 degrees.”
C'Mon Tigre
From American trumpeter Theo Croker to C'Mon Tigre, a duo loaded with Brazilian sounds, African jazz elements, and electronic incursions. A site-specific performance by Doinel (Quiroga + Bassolino), the disco funk of Ltj Xperience, but also the dreamy voice of Coca Puma, and Parbleu. A festival distinguished by the absolute heterogeneity of its artistic proposal, able to capture the attention of different audiences. A snapshot of contemporary jazz that alternates on its stages performances by well-known names and artists of the new and newest generation, both established and emerging, and alongside more traditional projects, there are experimental and avant-garde projects, straddling jazz and electronics. An intergenerational festival, marked by quality music whose roots are deeply embedded in continuous study and research.
“I am a musician, so I do my own researches. Regarding the festival, I always try to do what I want to do / some of the names we have featured (like Yussef Dayes or Nu Genea), were featured when they hadn’t exploded yet. That’s real research: sensing artists you like and promoting them, aware that they might receive a certain type of hype. I could say I have this skill / luck of spotting artists who are about to take off [ed. laughs]. It’s my personal taste, even though I’ve learned to compromise over time, also thanks to insights from industry advisors such as Raffaele Costantino. This year, there aren’t fewer names; they’re just distributed differently. For example, last year 'the big name' brought a lot of people, but what do you remember about the festival? You remember that, the 'known artist'. I always try to focus on the experience despite 'the big name' and, above all, I aim to make you discover new artists. You might come to listen to 'the known artist' but then discover ten other artists, and the following year you come back because you’re happy and thirsty - you want to discover more, you always want to discover new artists. I consume music this way - I try to listen to new artists in the places I go. This year I tried to do things you can only hear in Gaeta - like Doinel, that will do a performance exclusively written and played for the festival. You can hear solo artists in ten thousand places but our research focuses on letting you listen to them in an exclusive and different way - just like pop records that are the same wherever you hear them live, jazz records are unique in every place you hear them. We like this: the jazz attitude - hearing something unique that will never be repeated and will always come out differently.”
Staying in Gaeta undoubtedly opens up opportunities for everyone - it also becomes a way to boost the local economy. “We didn’t choose to stay in Gaeta for some unknown reason, we chose to stay in Gaeta because it’s our city, and all of this excites us. We don’t just aim for the locals (who are fundamental), but we aim for outsiders, we aim to make Gaeta a hub with even more culture and more significant tourism. Gaeta is between Naples and Rome, the tourism here has been the same for years - it’s standardized, always the same music, always the same kind of artists who consequently attract the same target audience. For me, the point is that we should start doing things with a different depth. Our goal, as I said before, is to get people to come by plane. So not just people who can travel by car - we want to set our communication on a new way of conceiving music here in the territory and consequently reach beyond the territory itself. The Sunday will be a blast - there’s Emma Jean Thackray, Coca Puma, and Parbleu. Coca Puma is an artist with a lot of hype, and in my imagination, I already knew she could kill it. Bringing this kind of stuff is complicated and definitely makes the transition from one type of tourism to another slower, but step by step, you surely reach a point where people start to believe in it, start to educate themselves, start to get informed. Bringing artists who play real instruments, who put the sincerity of music first - that’s fundamental. Not everyone, but many understand it, and we aim precisely to them. Thinking of making a big hit doesn’t pay off because it’s a temporary thing - you have to educate the customer. The demand isn’t there because the population has no stimuli and no interest in seeking all this, so there should be a balance between the commercial and the non-commercial to create an environment where people listen to what they want to listen to but are also eventually interested in - and step by step, the culture is built, as well as the target audience. Our project is born out of passion – there should be more investment in projects like this, and nurture a focus on renewing, understanding, and investing wisely. We need to nurture the will to innovate and rejuvenate. If you offer valid things, at some point people gradually influence each other - what you offer becomes popular, and popular then becomes hype, which isn’t necessarily wrong. Sure, often what has hype isn’t necessarily a quality product, but this can be conveyed in a healthy, positive way - you can create a quality safe space for people who like quality things, and consequently, quality aggregation centers are created.”
The Gaeta Jazz Festival thus confirms itself as a unique event, capable of merging high-level music with the uniqueness of the territory. A manifestation that doesn’t just offer a series of concerts, but immerses you - makes you live a total experience, where culture, nature, and the passion for music intertwine in perfect harmony. The 16th edition will surely be an unforgettable journey, an opportunity to discover new talents and a moment of reconciliation with oneself. Let’s meet there!
