The GenSan International Blues Society in cooperation with SM City General Santos is staging the much-awaited second annual GenSan International Blues Festival on Dec. 13 to 15 at the Fountain Court of SM City in General Santos City.
“This event promises to bring you three fun-filled, informative and exciting days of music and enjoyment to add to your Christmas holiday festivities while learning about a genre of music called the American Blues,” said co-founder Allan Cabardo of Brooklyn, New York.
Cabardo, who was born and raised in Gen. Santos City, started the Blues festival together with fellow Gensan native James Jubelag, who is now based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Along the pioneering members Pio Valdez, (Tropical Depression, Sticky Stones, etc.), Richard Nuneza (France), Tom Alzona (New Zealand), Gumer Liston and Glen Valdez (Cebu), they started as a humble open Blues jam at a bar called No. One Bar, owned by musician friend, guitarist extraordinaire Gifford Sumaylo in General Santos last year.
A group of musician friends flew in from around the world to help them out and to get together for a festival style jam session and to share what they had learned about a style of music little known in Mindanao – the American Blues.
“Due to the incredibly positive feedback from the audience and the overall success of the festival, we got the ball rolling to make this an annual event”, said Jubelag.
This year promises to be bigger and better than last year. There will be local greats, some foreign friends and musicians coming in from different countries bringing with them their personal style of the Blues that they learned in their respective countries and be on the look-out for some surprise guests.
The festival will also showcase the up-and-coming local, talented youth. Everyone will be coming together with the common goal of exposing, educating, and sharing their love of this great genre of music. As well, there will be a Christmas musical selection with a Blues twist. The organizers will be holding clinics where members of the audience are invited to ask questions, meet the musicians, or share their experiences. There will even be an open jam where anyone who wants to join.
“This is quite possibly the first festival of its kind in the country,” Jubelag added.
On December 13 and 14, the Blues Festival kick off at 5 p.m. while on Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m.
“If you got the blues, come and tell your story and sing or play about it on stage!” Jubelag said.
You will be enlightened and given a history of the Blues, information on the different styles and have any questions answered that you may have.
This festival promises to be an original. It won’t be your regular cut-and-paste style of music. There will be a lot of original music by the artists as well as lots of old-time favorites. It proposes to put Mindanao and in particular General Santos City on the World Blues map as a top Blues festival destination in this part of the globe, much like Memphis, Tennessee, Chicago, Toronto, New York; places you would think of when thinking Blues Festivals.
“We are trying our best to bring you the great heavies from the USA like, Howard Gazer(Michigan), Otis Rush (Chicago), Rob Bowrosen (New York), all friends of ours that were unable to make it this year due to the short notice, prior commitments and funding issues”, said Cabardo.
To learn more about the 2nd Annual GenSan International Bues Festival, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gensanblues/
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