18 November 2008 Seven days of non-stop music made the 4th Pristina Jazz Festival unforgettable.
By Arif Muharremi in Pristina
Wagging tongues could say that ‘the tickets were expensive’ or ‘the sound system was flawed’ but, in the end, even they would confess that seven days of jazz in the Oda theatre were unforgettable.
The deciding factor that made the fourth edition of the Pristina Jazz Festival successful was very apparent – simplicity. People just knew the place where they should gather at eight o’clock, simple as that. And, once there, it was jazz music, all the time.
“Now, nobody can say that we are facing a lack of interest, a lack of audience, ‘cause that’s just not true. The people coming to experience the music of a famous jazz musician are overflowing,” said Ilir Bajri, the festival’s organizer, referring to Uri Caine, the star jazz pianist who opened the jazz festival in Pristina.
This edition of Kosovo’s first - and only - jazz festival, was rich with different artists, tastes and sounds coming from Europe and the United States. Bajri says that next year he is going to celebrate the 5th Pristina Jazz Festival by bringing some of the most famous stars of the jazz world to Pristina.
Asked the names of the artists who will be coming to Prishtina next year, Bajri said they remain secret.
“Nobody likes to know the end of movie without watching all of it,” he says.
Uri Caine flew directly from Frankfurt, where he was playing with a German big band, to Pristina, just so he could play along with his Kosovar fellows.
“In Germany, for example, there were certain pieces I had to play, but here it is different, here I play what I feel to this beautiful people,” said Caine, adding that he knows little about the music scene in Kosovo, but was eager to play in Pristina.
Another band that was a highlight of the festival was the local OM Quartet. Their performance was very successful, as well as interesting in the way it reflected and represented the concepts of their composing.
“We were very proud of them, they were the pride of the local scene. First, they came with a real interesting concept and I was really happy to have them here,” said Bajri.
Among the world’s jazz stars who played in Pristina during this year’s festival was Reggie Washington.
“Man, when I saw he was coming here, at first I didn’t believe it. But that night, while he was playing, I sat as close as I could and it was fantastic”, said Driton, a jazz fan. “Institutions should think more of bringing these people to Pristina, ‘cause they are the best ambassadors Kosovo could have.”
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