7th Tinos Jazz Festival: Tinos Loves Rio - A great celebration of Brazil & jazz

Unique concerts, colorful events in various spots of the island, music stars, among them famous international artists, such as Jaques Morelenbaum, Paula Morelenbaum, Ze Namen, contributed to the great success of the 7^th Tinos Jazz Festival this year, which was dedicated to Brazilian Jazz that spread its “colors” all over the island. This year’s Festival, which took place from July 21^st until August 5^th, was under the auspices of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Brazil in Athens, the host country of 2016 Olympic Games. As previous years, at the heart of the festival this year too, is Thomas Alvertis, a jazz musician himself too, born and raised in Tinos Island, who, with his “b jazz” vision continues to spread his big love for jazz on the island and not only there. And with no doubt, one of its most beautiful moments was when Brazilian Jazz legend, Jaques Morelenbaum, who was the Artistic Director of Tinos Jazz Festival this year, played his cello with the finest Greek jazzmen in the most picturesque village of Volax. So, Tinos and the 7^th Tinos Jazz Festival loved Rio and proved its love: …In Tripotamos: At the beautiful little village square, among flowers and white balconies, where people of the village treat visitors with ‘tsipouro’ and local delicacies and jazz fans sitting all around the stairs, Brazilian composer and pianist Ze Namen with Greek singer Elina Skarpathioti ‘took’ the crowd to an amazing trip to Brazilian music…while the unique essence of Cyclades was all over the air. …In Volax:  In this magic place of Tinos “lives” the most amazing, dreamlike open theater. And that’s where Miranda Verouli, the singer, songwriter and for 20 years now, the ambassador of the Brazilian music in Greece, along with her band of the excellent jazz musicians -and the participation of Petros Kourtis, the prominent Greek percussionist- brought to the unique scenery, very vividly and in her colourful way, true, exotic Brazilian soundscapes. The night evolved into an unforgettable experience, as the outstanding cellist, arranger, producer and legend of Brazilian music, Jaques Morelenbaum entered the stage. For ten years, music collaborator of Antonio Carlos Jobin and with numerous other collaborations with superstars of the international music scene, Morelenbaum presented a tribute to the masters of Bossa Nova, as well as compositions from his personal album. He was joined on stage by three top Greek jazzmen -Andreas Polyzogopoulos (trumpet), Spyros Manesis (piano) and Petros Klampanis (double bass)- who, with their own inspirations and compositions provided an extra, touching colour to the ‘moment’. …In Pallada, Tinos Chora: where the “BATALA ATENAS”, the afro-percussion group -that participated in the handing of the Olympic Flame in Athens Stadium- invited everyone to a big celebration of music and dance. They charmed the crowd, young and old, who followed dancing to the beat, all along the old port to Pallada, where the party took off, to the same Brazilian feeling kept by DJ Kafka, famous radio producer of En Lefko radio. …In Loutra:  where the amazing Paula Morelenbaum, leading singer of Bossa Nova, with the group of “New Yorker” jazzman (as he lives there now) Petros Klampanis, took everyone at the Ursulines theatre, to an exotic trip to Brazil, through her own songs as well as through “ΒΡΑΖiΛ”, Petros Klampanis project. A star of bossa nova and one of its most unique voices, Paula Morelenbaum brought with her to Tinos, that special feeling of the famous Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Nova Banda, as she, for ten years, was one of its girls. …In Ysternia: The concerts of the 7^th Tinos Jazz festival completed at the 5^th of August, at the Elementary School of this magnificent village, in partnership with The Sterna Fringe Festival, where Fenia Papadodima, with Amorgo Quintet presented their tribute to Brazilian Jazz. With Leonidas Sarantopoulos (flute), Gregoris Danis (guitar), George Palamiotis (bass) and Thanos Chatzianagnostou (drums). photos by © Spiros Katopodis View Photo Agency (VPA)