by Reza Corinne Clifton
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN - There I was, in a tunnel devoid of sunlight yet still enshrouded in asphyxiating heat, confused and convinced there was a plot to keep me from getting up North. You see, I was in Madrid, Spain, 6 or 7 hours away from my final destination, and less than 5 minutes away from departure time for my royal coach - Spain's version of the Bonanza, Greyhound or Peter Pan bus lines. After first walking to the wrong bus, the driver of the right bus mumbled instructions that I did not receive or understand, and pointed back to the right. The first bus, the wrong bus was on the right. Was this a joke against Americans? Am I supposed to go back and forth between two buses that may or not take me to San Sebastian, where I already had plans to meet up with someone? Why is he directing me to the wrong bus??!!! What do I do??!!
"You can put your bags in on the other side," explained Papa a fellow voyager and a multilingual immigrant originally born in The Gambia who would swiftly become my hero and safety blanket on this long and alien ride. Walking me over, he showed me where there were additional openings on the opposite side of the bus for loading bags; the driver simply wanted me to switch sides.
Okay, so I was a little nervous.
I was traveling alone to San Sebastian, an area in the northern, Basque territory of Spain, and it was after the ease of stopping in Madrid and enjoying the company - and companionship - of my brother and his roommates. Initially confident and excited about the trip, because I had been to the city more than 10 years before, I was now feeling helpless and anxious; the last time I was in San Sebastian... was over ten years ago!
Would the city be as breathtaking as I remembered? The ocean as blue? And most of all, would the music be as inviting and inspiring as I remembered? It didn't matter; like it or not, I, Reza Rites or "Venus Sings" was now on the bus to find "voices of women" at 44 Heineken Jazzaldia, the annual jazz festival in San Sebastian, Spain.
About the festivalHeld every year in July, and one of the biggest jazz festivals in Europe, Jazzaldia happens in San Sebastian, a place also known as Donostiako for those who speak Basque. "Castellano," the form of Spanish spoken in Spain, is, of course, the other language spoken, heard, and written there. And yes, it is beautiful. It is a place replete with mountains, rivers, coves, sand-surrounded bay waters, handsomely aged facades and edifices, city-side ports, cobblestone streets, and so much more.
This year's festival began on July 22 and ran through July 26 with locations that included - but were not limited to - a stage set up adjacent to beach waters so that when you faced the performers, it was with your water to the right, a historic theatre which also served as information and vending sites, and a Spanish-style plaza reopened and accessed this year - to the elation of the festival organizers.
There is not one thing a person could truthfully do to attend each concert. For one, despite participating nightclubs, other seaside venues, and a second theatre, the number of artists was so vast that concert times overlapped. But that doesn't mean one doesn't try, especially when one realizes that many of the participating artists are not commercially distributed in the U.S. So it's true that I was on a Venus Sings mission, but I attended and let myself enjoy (male-led) acts infused with traditional jazz, son and mambo from Cuba, Nigerian afrobeat and much more.
So no, the music did not disappoint either. Indoors, outdoors, beachside or bar side, I received and responded to the passion, creativity, and joy emitted by bands and performers like Dave Douglas and Brass Ecstasy, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Speak Low, DJ Floro, Mac Mohaldo, The Billie Jeans, Randy Weston's African Rhythm Quintet, and The Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco. Whether it was a dj selecting and broadcasting songs specifically selected for the moment, a brass band's interpretation of and tribute to Michael Jackson, a mix of the old guard and new blood still playing traditional Cuban music, or a band from Spain mixing reggae, hip hop and surf style rhythms, I danced and applauded en masse with crowds as hungry and moved by the music as me.
Voices of Women at the Festival
Still, I was on a mission and not even great music could stop me. On the contrary, once I arrived in Spain nothing would block me; in fact, I received help and support my entire time there. From Papa on the bus, to Ane, Jesus, and Katixa with the festival staff and the other music lovers and artists who befriended and spent time with me, I was among a family of those in the habit of sharing, giving, and supporting each other when the glue or goal is music. And so it was after a series of warm, welcome hands that I located and connected with the songbirds of "Venus Sings in Spain." Here's a bit of what I caught:
Esperanza Spalding:
During her mesmerizing performance, Esperanza Spalding played familiar and signature tunes like Fall In, She Got to You, and I Know U Know from her album "Esperanza," among other selections, showcasing her distinct skill as a jazz vocalist and sophisticated upright bassist. She also ushered in the return of Plaza de la Trinidad as one of the performance spaces. Off-stage, she talked personally and intimately about her hair - which is styled in a distinct, large afro - and its significance in terms of pride in her heritage and abhorrence of chemicals, and she confessed to participating in impromptu jam sessions. Spalding also performed on a second day alongside saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Roy Haynes.
Eva Cortes:
Mining the festival lineup, I came upon Eva Cortes, a Honduran jazz singer raised in Spain, in Sevilla, but with experience living in Costa Rica, Madrid, and Paris, France. Like a characteristic I noted in all the artists I spoke to and saw perform at Jazzaldia, Cortes loves not only what she does with music, but music in general, and jazz to be specific. Whether it's rocking out to a solo being done by her delightful and skillful harmonica-playing band member, switching from French to Spanish in her own interpretation of the song La Vie en Rose, or talking about how she took the leap as a singer, Cortes is lyrical and melodic.
Michelle Laveaux:
Performing on the final day of the concert as the opener to the British pop-jazz sensation Jamie Cullum was Michelle Laveaux, a lyricist and guitar player whose act was marked by tenderness and musical frankness. Laveaux, who is Haitian-Canadian, but now lives in Paris, says she constantly shatters people's expectations when they see her as a Black woman, but don't hear traditional R&B when they hear her sing. Instead, what they get is a musician who is proud of her guitar licks, whose style is more reminiscent of coffee house rawness, who has a history and hobby of supporting other female musicians.
Venus Sings in Spain, and I was there to hear it. And of course I brought home presents! Check out Voices of Women on WRIU, 90.3 FM (www.wriu.org) on Saturday, August 8 from 9 - 11 am EST. (or 3 - 6 if you're in Spain). It will be a Venus Sings weekend, and I've got music and more by Spalding, Cortes, Laveaux, and other artists featured at 44 Heineken Jazzaldia. Or see photos - from San Sebastian AND Madrid - by clicking
here or visiting RezaRitesRi.com. For more information about Jazzaldia, visit www.heinekenjazzaldia.com.
Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites / "Venus Sings"
