After starting out with a mere 500 fans at its first concert, Poland’s Rawa Blues Festival has become one of Europe’s biggest and most popular blues events, with its 30th session due to take place on October 9, 2010.
Named for the Rawa River, which flows through the Polish town of Katowice, the festivahttp://www.harmonica.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=381l was the brainchild of great musician and blues promoter Irek Dudek. It kicked off with those 500 fans and 20 performers in April 1981 at the Katowice Theater.
It became an international festival in 1992 and three years later switched location to Spodek, Poland’s largest and most beautiful concert arena. Polish, American, European and other blues musicians from all over the globe gather and play 100% live to thousands of blues fans.
The October 2009 festival presented some world-class artists such as Eric Sardinas, Rod Pizza and the Mighty Flyers, Eden Brent and Shakin’ Dudi. Other bands included Hoo Doo Band, The Moongang, J.J Band, Pawell Szymanski, Grzegorz Kapolka, Karolina Cygonek, L.R. Phoenix and Finland’s Mr. Mo’ Hell.
Rod Pizza has been in the blues game almost all of his life. Born in 1947, his musical leanings started at 7. Three years later, he persuaded his mother to buy him his first guitar at a yard sale.
Today, he’s not only an amazing band leader, vocalist and composer. He is also a harmonica virtuoso. He can elaborate his own sound, go solo, be an accompanist, and make great harmony with various harmonica acoustic chords. Now rated the most important blues harmonica player from California, in skill and stature, he is considered second only to William Clarke, who passed away in 1996.
Every time he blows and draws through the reeds, Pizza unravels a tone full of authority. His wife, Honey, handles the piano with superb rendition, while the two remaining members of the band are guitarist Henry Carvajal and drummer Dave Kida.
Pizza is the driver that makes the band swing like crazy but the teamwork is awesome – one reason why Pizza is respected today in the same way as the music world looked up to his mentor George “Harmonica” Smith.
Not too far away from Rawa – relatively speaking – another important musical event takes place, but only once every four years. This is a world harmonica festival that, naturally, takes place nowhere else but in the motherland of the harmonica . . . Germany.
Devised by manufacturer Hohner, the World Harmonica Festival was held last year. It’s a one-of-a-kind show where leading harmonica players demonstrate skills and techniques for a worldwide audience. But you don’t have to wait another three years for the next big international harmonica celebration. The 8th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival takes place in Singapore on July 30, 2010.
Want to play blues on your harmonica? Then be sure to check out JP Allen’s comprehensive blues lessons included in his harmonica course.
