22nd Edition of the Black Music Festival 2024

A total of twenty new proposals, including concerts and activities, are part of the line-up for the 22nd edition of the Black Music Festival 2024. On the one hand, the funk of Swatkins, singer and taklbox master, is added to the line-up, which with the his band The Positive Agenda will open for Scary Pockets to open the Black Music Festival at Sala Apolo in Barcelona on February 8.

The energetic rock&blues of Girona's BigBlack Rhino will also be present in the La Mirona hall, preceded by the performance of the one man band Sergi Estella, known for making his own instruments with everyday objects. The bill also includes reggae and ska from Barcelona's Les Testarudes, who will open the concert by the legendary Dr. Calypso, an already announced performance that will also take place in La Mirona. Likewise, the black music festival of Catalonia will host the performance of the Barcelona guitarist Gnaposs, which will precede the concert of fellow Italian guitarist Giacomo Turra & The Funky Minutes in La Mirona.

Tramma from Girona will also be on this stage presenting their new project with a more modern disco-dance sound, preceded by the black music of the band Funktory. Also added to the 22nd edition is the Soul&Funk concert for the little ones in Palamós and the Tina Turner Black Music Big Band Tribute in Torroella de Montgrí, a production of the Black Music Festival and the Casa de la Música de les comarques Girona foundation. Tickets for both concerts are already sold out. Likewise, the Black Music Big Band will once again present the Disco Fever concert at the Viladecans Atrium, accompanied by the Ensemble Jove Orquestra de les Comarques Gironines.

On the other hand, Girona's parks will once again be filled with free musical events thanks to the traditional Black Music Picnic, which will be held in Parc del Migdia and will feature performances by Lali Begood, the Black Music Big Band, the renowned Les Karamba and Dj. Dada You can also enjoy the day "Hip Hop in the Park", with artists such as EMÉ, Poor Tràmit or Elane, who will perform in the Central Park.

The Black Music Festival will host some free concerts such as Howlin' Dogs and their project inspired by Afro-American Work Songs at the Ateneu 24 de June in Girona, The Explosive Swing Trio at Fornells de la Selva or the performance of the big Empordà band The Funk Power Station at the La Volta Market in Girona. The Black Music Big Band Junior, the "little sister" of the Black Music Big Band, will play in the towns of Castell d'Aro and Corçà. In this second town, the Black Music Choir will be added, an initiative that also arose from the same festival.

Finally, the festival has also scheduled parallel activities in Girona such as the Black Music Silent Disco, which will once again tour the streets of Girona's Old Quarter, as well as the participatory activity Black Music Quiz which will take place at the Ateneu El 24 of June It will also host the session LP #57 where the album At Last!, by Etta James in La Marfà, will be analyzed, as well as a Brass Band workshop in the hands of members of the Hip Horns Brass Band in La Mercè.

Concerts previously announced

These novelties are added to the already announced concerts of major international headliners such as jazz singers Dee Dee Bridgewater and Catherine Russell, the renowned cover band Scary Pockets which opens the festival on February 8 at the Apolo in Barcelona or the rock psychedelic from the Dutch DeWolff. The festival will also feature other international artists such as the harmonica virtuoso Errol Linton, the Italian guitarist Giacomo Turra & The Funky Minutes or the Senegalese Seckou Keita and Momi Maiga, resident in Catalonia, whose concert tickets have sold out.

It is worth noting the large presence of state groups such as Madrid's Kamikaze Helmets, Galician band The Soul Jacket or Zaragoza's The Kleejoss Band. Likewise, a large part of the Black Music Festival line-up is made up of Catalan artists such as The Gramophone Allstars Big Band, the legendary band Dr. Calypso, Barcelona's Namina in sextet format or the group of musicians The Big Easy' Crew.

Regarding the theme of spaces, this year the Black Music Festival has expanded its territorial reach and for this edition it leaves the city of Girona to bring its music to other towns in the Girona regions and all over Catalonia. The scenic spaces where the festival takes place this year are: the Girona Auditorium, the La Mercè Cultural Center, the Sant Narcís Civic Center, the CREC de Sant Daniel Track, La Marfà, the Ateneo 24 de Juny, the Mercat de la Volta (Plaza de l'Assumpció), Parc del Migdia and Parc Central.

The festival will also stop in halls and spaces in other Catalan towns such as La Mirona (Salt), Sala Apolo (Barcelona), Atrium (Viladecans), Auditori Teatre Espai Ter (Torroella de Montgrí), La Gorga (Palamós), the Center Polivalente La Torrentera (Aiguaviva), Plaça Catalunya (Fornells de la Selva), Plaça del Rebot (Corçà) and Plaça Poeta Sitjar (Castell d'Aro).