About Festival
The oldest blues festival in Poland, one of the most recognized in Europe and the biggest in-door blues festival in the world. This year 30th edition of the festival will take place in Katowice. Thanks to Rawa Blues Festival it’s the capital city of Polish blues.
The Beginning
The idea of the Rawa Blues Festival was introduced in 1981 by Irek Dudek - great musician and blues promoter. The first festival was organized in the Katowice Theater and gathered about twenty blues bands from all over Poland and 500 fans. At the beginning of the 90s the Festival moved into the biggest and the most famous concert arena in Poland – Spodek Hall and actually became one of the biggest blues festivals in Central Europe. In the past years thousands of blues fans have enjoyed themselves while listening biggest Polish, American and European blues musicians playing 100% live.
From the very beginning the festival director and organizer is Irek Dudek, who has started to inject blues music to Polish ground yet in 60s. A star of Polish rock (leader of Shakin' Dudi), multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer, has found the first blues festival in Poland and manages it to this day. It’s thanks to his charisma and professionalism, every year thousands of fans come to Spodek Hall every year.
International Blues Festival
The Festival was regularly televised and screened throughout the national TV Network. Among the highlights of past festivals were: Luther Allison. Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, Carey Bell, John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, C. J. Chenier, Rory Block, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Guitar Shorty, James Blood Ulmer, Eric Sardinas, Rod Piazza, Janiva Magness and many others.
It's for them that many fans came on "Rawa", to hear the blues from so important artists, to meet people which means so much on blues top, to see blues show that is presented only on key blues festivals around the world.
Recent years
During 2006 edition of Rawa Blues we heared i.a. Roy Rogers, Paul Geremia and Nora Jean Bruso, whose performance became a great event of that edition. In 2007 we heard several times awarded with Blues Music Awards, Janiva Magness. Exceptional were Asyslum Street Spankers, taking much from all contemporary genres - from country to hiphop. Very energetic was Storm Warning performace. In 2008 the event was Debbie Davies show but also Seth Walker. Very ambient was play of Samuel James, and the atmosphere were raised by Shakin' Dudi. Edition 29 was mainly bluesrock Eric Sardinas and The Big Motor show, but also legendary Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers and young star Eden Brent.
This year it is a jubilee of Rawa Blues Festival dociera – edition 30 will be mainly of retrospective character. We will listen to the very best performers, who already have played on Rawa and whose shows made the biggest impression on fans, critics, other musicians and organizers. It’s worth mentioning that there will be more stars than on any other edition of Rawa Blues Festival.
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