"Jazz Under the Stars" on the Devetashko Plateau

published on 6/30/23 7:40 AM

The scenic beauty of the Devetashko Plateau is once again the backdrop for the open-air Jazz Under the Stars festival, which runs from 30 June to 2 July. The organisers invite all jazz and dance music aficionados to unleash their potential and make the most of the vast natural stage to the sounds of live music under the night sky.

Devetaki Plateau captivates tourists and offers good conditions for organic farming

The opening night on June 30 will be in the guest house "Ongal" in the village of Karpachevo, where the album "Jazz sings in Bulgarian" and the music of The Social Callers will be presented. Jazz events are planned for the next evening at two other venues - the Garvanitsa cave and the Old Mill in the village of. Karpachevo. Closing the festival on July 2 will be "Jazz for Children" with the musician Ventsy Blagoev.

This year's edition of Jazz Under the Stars gives musicians from near and far the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of two great jazz artists - Marina Gospodinova and Antoni Donchev. Their masterclasses will take place at the Old Mill and are completely free of charge.

Jazz Under the Stars is an initiative of the Devetashko Plateau Association's project to revitalize 10 Bulgarian villages in the area of the natural site located in Northern Bulgaria.

According to trumpeter Ventsislav Blagoev, who is also the musical director of the festival, this forum is needed, desirable and loved because:

“Everybody needs to be in the nature, everybody needs to listen to beautiful music with beautiful timeless lyrics, and at the same time make improvisations, which account for 70% of our programme. Communication is the real thing. Jazz is communication, especially when it comes to the Jazz for Kids event and the jam session which will take place after the main concert on July 1 in a wonderful guest house with a big yard. The Jazz for Kids session will take place at 11 am on July 2 at the same place. Everyone gets involved - even the shy ones start participating at the end of the programme. This is the secret of jazz, this is the difference between jazz and any other music. The birds are among us and the bats are listening from the cave. The magic of jazz is fully compatible with the magic of the Devetashko Plateau."

In the pre-festival evening of the Jazz Under the Stars festival, there will be a concert of the club project "Jazz Sings in Bulgarian". It brings together Marina Gospodinova, Maria Doneva, Antoni Donchev and Ventsislav Blagoev. For 13 years the four musicians have been performing world jazz, pop and Latin standards with unique lyrics in Bulgarian written by Maria Doneva. On June 30 they are to present their debut album, which comprises their greatest music hits. Let's welcome the seventh month of the year with the song "July" to the rendition of Marina Gospodinova. Maria Doneva authored the lyrics of the piece. Dimitar Karamfilov wrote the music. Arrangement- Zhivko Petrov.