VALLADOLID, June 28. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Colegio de San José will host ‘Universijazz 2024’ for the works in the cloister of San Benito in a festival that this year celebrates its 22nd edition and that will feature as a novelty “the first own production”, a “specific concert” for this program that will bring together on Wednesday, July 17, nine teachers who have played in the “legendary” band Irakere.
This was highlighted by the artistic director of the International Jazz Festival of the University of Valladolid, José Luis Gutiérrez, in the presentation of the ‘Universijazz 2024’ program that will take place between July 16 and 19 at the new location that will replace eventually to the patio of San Benito, to which they will return, he assured.
Gutiérrez has compared the preparation of the festival to the fact of going through a transparent glass whose thickness is unknown, which leads to being “always on the lookout”, in this case to find “the best solution” to be able to “change the venue” to the neighboring San José school, after which he thanked the Municipal Cultural Foundation for having made “every possible effort” to be able to maintain the same style of this annual event with jazz.
“I know it hasn’t been easy. Replacing San Benito is not so simple,” acknowledged the artistic director of the festival, who said that the courtyard of the San José school is “a wonderful and very suitable space” to “enjoy a summer festival of the highest quality.”
‘Universijazz 2024′ will begin on Tuesday, July 16, with saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’ Rivera, “the only international musician” who has performed three times at the Valladolid festival, whose optimism and positivity José Luis Gutiérrez has highlighted. “He always puts a smile on his scores,” said the artistic director, who referred to the 74-year-old Cuban musician as “a consolidated maestro.”
The programme will continue on Wednesday 17th with “a very special proposal” with the creation of a specific concert in a premiere that will bring together nine masters who have nurtured the band Irakere in different generations. Specifically, they are Maritzel, Julito Padrón, Carlos Sarduy, Carlos Miyares, Héctor Quitana, Miguel Ángel García (Wiwi), Yandy Rodríguez, Adel González and Rodney Barreto.
On Thursday 18 July, it will be the turn of trumpeter Eddie Henderson, who, at 83 years of age, will play “classic jazz” at this festival accompanied by trombonist Steve Davis. “He is a master without a doubt,” said Gutiérrez.
The closing act of ‘Universijazz 2024’ will take place on Friday 19th, with Janis Siegel, whom the artistic director of the festival has referred to as an “almost almost member” of the band The Manhattan Transfer, in which the vocalist remained for more than forty years until its dissolution. Siegel is currently continuing her solo career in which she performs compositions in the aesthetics of the Manhattan Transfer and from the musical worlds of Brazil and the Caribbean.
According to the Vice-Chancellor for Communications at UVA, Rebeca San José, tickets will go on sale in advance on July 1st through entradas.uva.es at a price of 20 euros for each performance and there will be 200 season tickets worth 70 euros.
In addition, each day of the festival, 50 tickets will be reserved at the box office for direct sale at the San José school, which will have a capacity of 1,000 seats.
Both the vice-rector and the Councilor for Culture, Irene Carvajal, have agreed when referring to Universijazz as “a wonderful project” and as “an essential event for lovers of music and jazz” that brings together “artists of great renown” every year. of the fascinating universe of jazz”. Irene Carvajal has also highlighted that the artistic director is “an international reference” and “a clear example of the talent to retain.”
