Musicology Barcaffe Sessions to announce upcoming concerts in 2020
Concert series that irrevocably stole a part of Belgrade’s cultural and music scene with world-class sold-out concerts at the beginning of the season, marked yet another Musicology Barcaffe Sessions effort to bring world-renowned musicians to the city of Belgrade. Musicology has been recognized more and more in those city corners filled with a particular hunger for quality and unique musical experiences.
Not only did Musicology sell out every concert this fall, but it also managed to become a synonym for a cultural shelter that never ceases to amaze, bringing the world’s greatest jazz/blues/funk/soul/RnB artists to the Belgrade crowd. By always listening to the audience’s wishes, this organization created a faithful community that takes part in performers selection and provides endless support to the project.
The organizers say they will continue with their effort to bring the same quality experiences in 2020 as well.
The first artist to perform at Musicology series this year will be the enigmatic phenomenon, Sharon KOVACS, who will have two concerts at Bitefartcafe club on March 7 and 8.
This shaven-headed singer hiding the voice of a soul legend has been widely compared to Amy Whinehouse, as well as old-school soul divas. Her first single, “My Love” was an instant European hit, even reaching Number One in Greece while her album, “Shades of Black” charted in 36 countries in 2015. Sixty million YouTube views, a clutch of awards and high-profile sets at major festivals and a Robbie Williams support slot later, Kovacs’ dark, raw, bare-hearted soul is on the verge of making her a sultry superstar. Her second album ‘Cheap Smell’ is one of the most open, honest and inspired future soul albums of the decade, named after her last pre-fame band and – like her debut – out to find the positive in life’s toughest turns.
“From here, I’m in quite a good place,” she says, “the people I love now are around me. The album really helped me achieve being more happy. I learned a lot about myself and musically. I’m much more confident with the things I make now than I was before.”
Joshua Redman’s concerts will soon follow on March 19 and 20, at the same venue.
Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of music, and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. But although Joshua loved playing the saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combo, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician. After he graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Social Studies, he had been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Some of his friends had recently moved to Brooklyn, so he decided to join them. He began jamming and gigging, and almost instantly ended up on the map of NYC’s jazz scene. Soon he was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, and began playing with musicians such as Pat Metheny, Dave Brubeck, Bill Frisell, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Brad Mehldau and many more:
Jazz is a music of surprise; its a music of spontaneity. I think jazz musicians live–I know I do–for being surprised and not knowing what’s going to come next. It was about finding creative, original musicians.
He published 20 albums, had 2 Grammy nominations, and had outstanding critics from world-class music magazines that had positioned him as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of today.
The third artist to perform is the trumpeter with 5 Grammy’s in his pocket. Terence Blanchard will have a concert at Bitefartcafe on April 23.
Five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. With his current quintet E-Collective he addresses the staggering cyclical epidemic of gun violence in this country with his new album Live, 7 powerful songs recorded live in concert that both reflect the bitter frustration of the conscious masses while also providing a balm of emotional healing. With a title that carries a pointed double meaning, the album is an impassioned continuation of the band’s GRAMMY-nominated 2015 studio recording, Breathless.
The music of Live was symbolically culled from concerts performed at venues in three communities that have experience escalating conflicts between law enforcement and African American citizens condemming gun violence of all manner whether against profiled citizens of color or targeted members of law enforcement.
Regarding his consistent attachment to artistic works of conscience, Blanchard confesses, “You get to a certain age when you ask, ‘Who’s going to stand up and speak out for us?’ Then you look around and realize that the James Baldwins, Muhammad Alis and Dr. Kings are no longer here…and begin to understand that it falls on you. I’m not trying to say I’m here to try to correct the whole thing, I’m just trying to speak the truth.”
Tickets can be purchased via www.tickets.rs & www.ddtickets.rs
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