Jazz ‘n’ Goa is the international Jazz festival Organized by Tara Travels and Services Pvt. Ltd. brings together musicians form around the world to create their jazz sounds here in Goa. The International Jazz festival is a breath of fresh Air to the music scene in the state. Goa has a deep interesting history in intern national music, since the Hippie movement in early 60’s and 70’s; Goa had been the underground destination for Hippies worldwide. This made Goa a melting pot of cultures and with culture comes an exchange of ideas, a way of life, art and of course Music.
The esoteric exchange of ideals, led to a massive music swap that was shared and absorbed by everyone. This assimilation of musical ideas and therefore crossed boundaries into other's musical influence. The brief history of Muscle Goa shows the initiation with live music, which then took a turn for mid 80’s electro synth, which furthermore morphed into psycadelic Trance. Jazz in Goa, is not a new thing. In fact acid jazz has a heavy influence on the now well known Goa Psy scene, however the notion of classical Jazz has lost its prominence in its original form and now in 2012 the International Jazz festival: Jazz ‘n’ Goa, held from March 7th to March 31st, gives jazz a chance to revive itself on the enigmatic shores of Goa.
Goa’s diversity attracts all kinds of music as well as all kinds of people with different tastes and preferences. The International Jazz festival showcases a revival of Jazz as well as a breath of fresh air in the music scene that has been under a dictatorship of trance for the past decade. The international Jazz festival celebrates 19 performances at Goa’s finest establishments featuring international artists from Russia and United States, Europe and India.
Jazz festival adds to Goa’s eclectic music scene and offers the audience something new other than trance. Casa Vagator hosted the opening on March 7th it featured the festival’s in house band and Emam and friends. Casa Vagator was the perfect setting to introduce the festival in Goa. The location encompassed everything unique to Goa, as it was the perfect setting for the opening a Jazz festival Casa Vagator offered a classy array of the melodious sweet sounds of Jazz, tropical drinks, Palm trees swaying against a blue purple sky of a typical march sunset on the beach. Simply put it resembled paradise. Jazz ‘n’ Goa was opened by the House band from Russia and was later handed over to Emam and Friends, who played a mystical set to encompass good vibes to the audience.
Speaking with Emam (tabla/ dumbak) form Emam and friends, MDT came to discover that Emam had been frequenting Goa for many years but had never preformed as part of an organized event. This time it allows him to not only perform for Goa, but also interact with the local and International musicians in their open Jam sessions after every show. MDT asked Emam on his perspective about the current Live music scene in Goa and Emams response was that there are too many cover bands which don’t allow the musicians to grow into their own sound. Emam states that more originality is needed in Goa on behalf of the local musicians to propel Goa into a world stage raising Goa’s music to an international level and bring in more world-class musicians into the scene.
The festival organized by Tara Travel and services in association with JazzGoa, have partnered with various establishments, one being Calangute Towers. While talking to Arindam Banerjee, Residential manager of Calangute towers, Travel Goa asked to how Goa can benefit form such a festival? Mr. Banerjee replied to something along the lines have that the jazz fest could benefit musicians, audience and establishments alike and offer something new to the people visiting and living in Goa. Talking to Ekaterina of Tara Travels it was explained that the idea came about to bring her jazz musicians friends from Russia to Goa to have international exposure and to also upgrade Goa's current music scene with professionally organized event to showcase award winning jazz musicians of Russia, Europe, USA and India. This event will bring tighter international and local musicians together to deliver quality music improvised with elements of the Goa ambience.
Ekaterina further stated that this could turn out to be an annual event and could possibly grow into a larger enterprise that will gain recognition in the international and local music scene. Ekaterina aspires to make this international festival a platform to expose true talent form world-class musicians and perhaps change the image of Goa as only a Trance destination.
The Festival’s objective is to start a new page in the History of Goa’s Music. Jazz coinsures will discover an eclectic array of improvisational music such as, Classical and modern Jazz, funk, Bossa Nova, Fusion with Indian and Arabic roots. The festival will also bring acid Jazz, with elements of Hip-Hop, Electro, House and of course Trance. Each and every show will be different and showcase different genres within the sphere of Jazz Music. Each performance will offer local and traveling musicians the chance to jam with each other. The In house band comprises of award winning musicians from Russia such as Philipp Meshcheryakov, Janna Fadeeva, Sergei Kuzmishchev, Vladislav Lyashchuk, Ilya Zyryanov, and will feature Emam and friends and Kundalini Airport.
Jazz today will bring together musicians form all over the globe, to once again share their talent and exchange their musical ideals here in Goa. The musicians will have a chance to experience India, the local musicians will have a chance to showcase their talent and the listener will have a unique opportunity to enjoy the spontaneous of Jazz music played in Goa’s establishments such as; Casa Vagator, Club Fresh, Curlies, Saturday Night Market, Stonehouse, O’pescador, Resort Rio, La Cabana, JazzInn, Our place, Zeebop, Hippies, Liiliput, Teso, F1 Beach Club, Calangute Towers and finally the Grand session at Bliss and Poco Loco. So Jazz Lovers, Feast your love for music with the International Jazz Festival that will surely bring a new wave of music to Goa in 2012.
