- Title: ALGERIA: Jazz festival brings talents and rythms to Constantine.
- Date: 1st May 2013
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) SINGER, HADJER HAROUN, SAYING: "The audience reacted well, there was a good exchange, a good feeling let's say. For me, it was an exceptional moment."
- Embargoed: 16th May 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Reuters ID: LVA3D7XITCF2CPH63HTAJY95KGV8
- Story Text: The Dimajazz festival is in full swing, bringing the diversity of world music to Constantine.
For ten days, the Dimajazz festival brings jazz and world music to the Algerian city of Constantine, 450 kilometres south east of the capital Algiers.
The festival, now in its 11th year, was created by four friends in 2003 who decided to conciliate their love for jazz music and the city of Constantine.
Running from April 25 to May 3, this year's Dimajazz festival also celebrated UNESCO's international jazz day on April 30, organisers said.
The festival opened with a tribute to Ray Charles and will include concerts by trumpet player Randy Brecker, pianist Chucho Valdes and various bands mixing jazz, funk and more traditional sounds.
For singer Hadjer, the festival is the occasion to go back to the town where she grew up.
Born in 1994, she started writing songs about life, love and youth at 17, the festival's website indicates. A pharmacy student, she said she has been influenced by musicians Katie Melua, Norah Jones and the Beatles.
Hadjer learnt the music trade with her uncle, a well known Constantine artist.
Once a backing singer at Dimajazz, Hadjer is now at the front of the stage.
Hadjer said playing in her hometown was a truly 'exceptional' moment in her career.
"The audience reacted well, there was a good exchange, a good feeling let's say. For me, it was an exceptional moment," Hadjer said.
Also playing at the festival was the Jean-Jacques Milteau band. One of the most celebrated harmonica players in the world, Milteau played with African-American singers Michael Robinson and Ron Smyth.
Smyth said all the energy he gets comes from the public.
"The energy from the public as well, that what we feel on the stage, it is what promotes the music, because it's never the same from night to night because of many reasons, but the main reason it's never the same because we love what we feel from the public," Smyth said.
At the end of the night, the public seemed to only want more.
"It was great, it was amazing, we really liked it, congratulations and bravo," Ryma said.
"Unfortunately it's only once a year but well it's is better than nothing. It's nine or ten evenings when everyone is meeting meets and we all discover various music from all over the world," Rami added.
The festival culminates on Friday (May 3) with a performance by U.S jazz musicians Lucky and Tamara Peterson - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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