Gent Rushi: In "Balkan Jazz Showcase 2024" support of artistic exchange and creativity, as well as the promotion of jazz music in the Balkan range

Concerts with jazz music groups from the countries of the Balkans and Europe come to the public in the fourth edition of the international festival "Balkan Jazz Showcase 2024". The festival that starts this evening in Tirana becomes part of the artistic life, but through the sounds of jazz music. The purpose of this festival, which this year marks the fourth edition in our country, is to promote Balkan jazz music as well as support Albanian jazz creativity, enriching the artistic life of Tirana and adding to it a European value of jazz musical art. The organizer of the festival is "Albania Jazz Society", with artistic director Gentian Rushin. On the eve of the fourth edition of the festival, the artistic director, the well-known composer Gentian Rushi, says that individualities make jazz music. "Concerts with new artists are coming. The entire program is new. Individuals make this kind of music. It's not like pop music that is standard, this has the creation inside", says artistic director Gent Rushi. During 3 nights, May 10-12, 2024, "Balkan Jazz Showcase 2024" will be organized in Tirana with concerts with jazz music groups from the countries of the Balkans and Europe, but according to artistic director Gent Rushi, there are also groups with many musicians. "This year there are new groups of artists who have not performed before in Albania. But the characteristic of this edition is that there will be large groups with a large participation of musicians, where there are two groups that have more than ten musicians", he says, where the groups this year come from Greece; North Macedonia; Albania; Black Mountain; Serbia and Germany are at the festival this year.

Objectives of the festival

There are about 60 such festivals throughout Europe. Showcase Festival helps the musician and delights the audience, is where professionals meet creators, combines public performances with music industry conferences, promotes participating artists and encourages new artists. The leitmotif of the event will be the universal character of music; music as a reality that enables communication by overcoming borders. So far, three editions of this festival have been successfully realized, but artistic director Gent Rushi also focuses on the main objectives of "Balkan Jazz Showcase 2024". "Supporting artistic exchange and jazz creativity between the countries of the Western Balkans and Europe, as well as the development of the Balkan/Europe music market through the participation of directors of jazz festivals from the Balkan countries and some European countries. Education of the new generation through art, through master classes organized at the University of Arts with students. Enriching the artistic life of Tirana with an international jazz music festival", he says. The festival that starts tonight takes place in the "Black Box" hall, University of Arts. Supporters of the festival are the University of Arts, the Municipality of Tirana and the embassies of countries such as Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Germany.