German jazz band FAVO to open 4th Katara European Jazz Festival
Germany has the honour to officially open this year’s Katara European Jazz Festival with a performance by German jazz trio FAVO. The concert will take place at Katara Cultural Village on 8th November, 2017 at 7 pm. The festival itself will last till the 12th of November, with performances taking place between 7 and 10 pm. The events are free.
The festival is organised by the German Embassy and the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region in cooperation with Katara Cultural Village. It marks a highlight in the calendar of Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture this fall.
Katara European Jazz Festival has been held at Katara as an annual event since fall 2014, bringing European jazz groups to perform in Qatar. The festival is supported by Qatar Airways, the official airline of the event. Beside the concerts the band gives workshops for young musicians in cooperation with the Qatar Music Academy.
Musicians perform during the jazz festival in 2015
The German Ambassador to Qatar, Hans-Udo Muzel, considers it a privilege that Germany is opening this year’s Katara European Jazz Festival, which has grown to 11 participating states.
“I am extremely grateful to Katara for organising this event with the European embassies. The festival is an excellent example for the scope of cultural diversity in Europe and the intense cooperation between the European states,” HE Mr. Muzel stated.
He added: “The public in Qatar has the opportunity to listen to a broad variety of jazz styles from the whole European continent. Come to the opening concert of Germany’s FAVO, part of Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture on 8th November, 2017 at 7 pm in Katara.”
FAVO was founded in 2009 by German saxophonist Volker Schlott and clarinetist Falk Breitkreuz. The two had already been playing together in various ensembles. After touring through East Africa as “FAVO” with the Goethe-Institut in 2010, they have recorded two albums as an ensemble. In 2013 FAVO was joined by Belgian singer Sander de Winne and they played small stages and festivals in Germany.
In 2015, Volker Schlott and Falk Breitkreuz started working on their first album with Sander De Winne, which they performed during its release tour in Germany and Belgium in 2016. In Doha they will perform their own compositions as well as adaptations of A. Piazolla, The Beatles, Johann Sebastian Bach, Bobby McFerrin and many more.
The German Jazz band FAVO will travel to Doha to open the festival with their performance and to give a workshop for students of Qatar Music Academy on 7th November, 2017. The three musicians will give an introduction to free improvisation in jazz music. They will also prepare selected students to play with them on stage during their opening concert.
The workshop is open to students of the Qatar Music Academy, who can register at the academy to participate. The band will also give a rhythm workshop for students of the German International School Doha on 8th November, 2017.
Volker Schlott, a member of FAVO that performed in Doha a few years back explained, “It was quite simple, because when people or, in this case, musicians come together to make music it mostly results in a very straightforward way to communicate and compromise. This kind of communication cannot be achieved with any other medium. That is why I am particularly excited to visit Doha this time with my own band and to bring our version of music and jazz. I am really very much looking forward to coming!”
Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture is a year-long program designed to deepen understanding between nations through the mutual exchange of arts, culture, heritage and sport, developed by Qatar Museums in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, the German Embassy in Doha and the Embassy of Qatar in Germany.
About The Goethe-Institut:
The Goethe-Institut is a world-wide organisation working to promote German language and culture. With a network of 159 institutes in 98 countries around the world and 12 institutes in Germany, the Goethe-Institut acts on behalf of the German Government to implement its cultural relations policy. The Goethe-Institut Gulf Region offers German language courses and organises cultural events in the Gulf Region. Together with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region arranges the programs of Qatar Germany Year of Culture 2017.
www.goethe.de/qatargermany2017
SNAPCHAT: qatargermany17
FACEBOOK: deutschesaison.qatargermany2017
INSTAGRAM: ds_qatargermany2017
Image credits:
Inline image 1 - Marhaba Qatar
Inline image 2 - diginights.com
Inline image 3 - Fraser Suites Doha
Inline image 4 - Goethe Institut Doha
