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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

DURBAN GOES BLUE AGAIN



(Frutland Jackson)

What would September in Durban be without the ever popular Durban International Blues Festival? This growing event takes place from September 24 to 29 at Wilson’s Wharf, just off Durban's Esplanade.

Nine years on, this successful and biggest blues festival in South Africa has made its mark as was intended by Festival Director, Themi Venturas and is now recognized nationally and internationally as a sought-after festival on the international blues circuit.

With the undoubted knowledge and skill of the event's co ordinators and directors, the festival has attracted a number of top calibre blues artists both international and national and, as intended, The Durban International Blues Festival  fills a gap in the South African music market - much like the Cape Town Jazz Festival and other established festivals which align with towns and cities throughout the country. Although the event has had to struggle against sponsorship odds at times, it is nearly a decade old next year and one can proudly say the Durban International Blues Festival is here to stay!

"It is rewarding to see that, along with sponsors such as the City of Durban, the Department of Arts and Culture, ABSA ,Concord Printing andThe Mercury, other credible corporate names are vying to be associated now," adds publicity director Tanya van Agthoven Marais.

This year plays host to an extraordinary program of local, national and international artists which has been carefully selected by programme director Will Wallace:  Every Woman's Blues (featuring The Reals and a line-up of amazing female blues artists), The Baby Blues (on Saturday afternoon features young up and coming students of blues and school blues bands). Throughout the week, bands featured include Handmade Blues Band, Soul Sistas, Sea Level, Zwarte Piet, East Coast Blues Band, the annual Fender Blues Show, Raoul and Black Friday...

Proudly SA Electric Blues features The Pinkie Mtshali Blues Band from Durban, Johannesburg's Red Hand Blues Band and, back by demand, headline act Dan Patlansky who has performed in the DIBF every year since its inception!

Blues Unplugged features Seelo (Dbn), Frutland Jackson (USA),Donna Herula (USA) and the Acoustic Blues Jam.

The Blues Summit, the festival's final and popular Sunday evening, features The Sir Walrus Band, and Pat Savage, the headline act from Canada who returns to the Durban International Blues Festival stage after many years. Of course, the Summit would not be the same without the jam which features the best of the festival and more!

In addition, a Blues Master Class will run daily from September 23 to 27 where education on the blues as a genre will be focused on and delivered by Will Wallace/Frutland Jackson (History of Blues), Sebastian Goldswain (Working with a band), Richard Haslop (Slide Guitar and Blues Mandolin), Donna Herula (Resophonic Guitar and some blues history) and Raoul Roux (Phrases and scales).Visit the website for more information for the booking procedures for these theory and practical sessions.

Tickets R120 booked via the Durban International Blues Festival Office on 031 305 688 9031, 305 6889/6886.

Shows from September 24 to 26 are free on the Deck downstairs but tickets to see The Reals upstairs at The Catalina Theatre are R50 pp. For more show information, contact Tanya van Agthoven Marais 082 747 9738 or email: tva_pr@global.co.za or visit www.durbanbluesfestival.co.za or read The Mercury (official print media sponsor)