the essential
More than 70 years after his death, Django Reinhardt continues to amaze generations of guitarists and music lovers. It was natural that a festival dedicated to his inexhaustible work would one day be born in our latitudes: the Toulouse Django Festival will be held from November 28 to 30, with magnificent concerts in perspective.
We can never thank Benjamin Bobenrieth enough, guitarist-composer and specialist of the creator of “Swing from Paris” for having launched the Toulouse Django Festival, which should delight a good number of music lovers. The first edition of this festival will be held from Thursday November 28 to Saturday November 30 and will offer aperitif concerts and an instrumental workshop. Families and the most accomplished musicians will delight in this sublime music that the native of Pont-à-Celles, Belgium, has made immortal.
“Gypsy jazz is a music that is very played and appreciated by musicians and the public alike, observes Benjamin. It offers string jazz a French and European reading, with violins, double bass… People like its sound color, its swing, its festive and melancholic side at the same time. It is an accessible jazz, non-conceptual but spontaneous.
Three evenings, three concerts
Every evening, a concert and lively after-parties will allow us to immerse ourselves in the work of the Maestro: Thursday, the opening evening will be held at Taquin Jazz Club (8:30 p.m., prices 7/11€) by the “Toulouse Gypsy Guitars”, formed by four outstanding musicians. Simon “Tchiquito” Lambert, a member of the Toulouse traveler community, is the spearhead of the musique gypsy jazz in Toulouse for over 40 years. Shis guitar and his voice have ignited stages around the world and accompanied the greatest artists. Adrien Tarraga is also a guitar virtuoso admired throughout the world.
Benjamin Bobenrieth will obviously be at the party, he who works tirelessly to the renewal and evolution of this style (he has notably published two excellent album chez Label Laborie Jazz and scoured the theaters of France and elsewhere). These three six-string duettistswill be accompanied by double bassist Nicolas Oustiakine, whose melodic and rhythmic agility we were able to appreciate within the “Brassens Swing”.
Samson Schmitt and Sébastien Giniaux, two big names
Friday 29, we can applaud Samson Schmitt at the Salle du Sénéchal (8:30 p.m., €16 to €20). Solo as well as within Gipsyjazz, this guitarist is the son of the famous violinist and guitarist Dorado Schmitt. Hell no lie: Samson has been performing all over the world since he was 12 years old. He will be accompanied in Toulouse by guitarist Mario Da Silva and double bassist Vincent Hemery.
The festival will (almost) close its doors to the sound of Sébastien Giniaux’s guitar, Saturday, still at the Sénéchal (8:30 p.m., €16 to €20). Born in 1981, Giniaux started playing the cello at six years old before encountering the guitar and traditional music at 18, en self-taught, with Django Reinhardt as a primary reference, while integrating into its sound universe the Balkan music, classical music, jazz and improvised music. He will perform on Saturday with another very talented guitarist, Joris Viquesnel. On Sunday, the festival will continue with a masterclass educational workshop from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by a concert by participants and students at 6 p.m.
Also read:
“The guitar has a plural identity…” The new season of Toulouse Guitare focuses on diversity
