An eclectic jazzy meet-up in Timisoara

From June 28 to July 2, the city of Timisoara, the current European capital of culture, will host the highly anticipated JAZZx festival. Prepare to be immersed in a world of captivating jazz as the city comes alive with performances at various enchanting venues. Check out what’s on.

This year, the 11th edition of the international music festival JAZZx is set to enthrall audiences with five days of diverse musical styles, ranging from modern jazz and fusion to soul. The festival will offer a unique experience for music lovers, who will have the opportunity to discover and appreciate the diversity and originality of this musical genre.

What not to miss

“The lineup is so diverse that it is hard to point to a specific artist. I know a lot of bassists and Gen Z fans will want to see Thundercat, most jazzheads will look for SHAKTI, the more hip ones will be excited for The Comet is Coming, while the ones who listen to a lot of souls should not miss Bilal. Either way, everyone should check out the Strada Fara Nume stage, featuring local and foreign spoken word shows,” says Norbert Tako, the festival’s organiser.

World Fusion Pioneers John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain will mark their 2023 return with the Shakti 50th anniversary album and world tour. An unprecedented, transcontinental collaboration, Shakti united eastern and western musicians and thus forged the template for what is now called Indo-jazz fusion.

Thundercat is a musical genius with a sound that blends jazz-funk fusion, electronica, soul, hip-hop, R&B, and psychedelia. His latest album “It Is What It Is” won the title of Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards. Along with Bilal, Kendrick Lamar, and Anna Wise, he received the Best Rap Collaboration award for the song “These Walls.”

Ezra Collective has become an integral part of London’s dynamic jazz scene, and their first album “You Can’t Steal My Joy” was met with widespread critical acclaim. With a unique sound that blends jazz, hip-hop, and Afrobeat, Ezra Collective is one of the most exciting new acts in jazz today.

The organizer’s viewpoint

“I still don’t consider myself to be a jazzhead, but someone who loves music in all forms and a person who has gone through many beautiful experiences in life that all came with different sorts of lessons. So, if I were to say something about my journey, it would be that I’m continuously learning and evolving. By the way, nowadays I don’t really believe in the festival format as a cultural project if there are no educational components deeply rooted in its DNA,” Tako argues.

In the JAZZx creator’s words, the festival’s DNA is contemporary urban instrumental music that also speaks to the uninitiated.

“JAZZx exists not only as a flagship event for Timisoara, but also as a premier musical exposure and educational project. Since its first edition in 2013, it was meant to be accessible to everyone, hence its no-ticket approach, and we’ll always maintain this thread and add more educational components—like we’re doing this year with a jazz summer school with tutors from the UK.”

Asked what he hoped attendees would take away from the jazz festival experience, Tako said:

“Good memories from Timisoara, a few new additions to their playlist, and an appreciation of the spoken word. On a more serious note, audience development only works when enough people are exposed to new experiences and when connections are created based on their prior preferences. I strongly believe that some of the people attending JAZZx and the kids growing up in a city that stages such an event will be the future ticket buyers for smaller jazz shows and the future supporters of emerging artists.”

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