blues'n'jazz: the icing on the Swiss festival cake
15/03/2017
written by Sidonia Maurer
In our festival summer 2017 series, we present the events and their organizers. We start with blues'n'jazz in Rapperswil-Jona.
Series: Festival Summer 2017 | Episode 1: blues'n'jazz Festival, Rapperswil-Jona
Viktor Baumann, project manager of the blues'n'jazz festival, talks about the sunset on the lake with live music, his favorite moment and why you don't need wellies at blues'n'jazz.
Viktor Baumann, blues'n'jazz project manager, is once again looking forward to the "here we go" moment this year.
What is special about your festival this year?
That we are organizing it again this year with great pleasure. But the bill still has to add up. That demands a lot from everyone and also sets limits. Nevertheless, we have decided to keep the prices the same as last year.
Which acts are you particularly proud of?
We are equally delighted about every act. We put our heart and soul into Jan Delay, Bob Geldof and Züri West, as well as Toronzo Cannon, the Zurich new soul band Cilia Hunch, the 15-year-old Quincy Jones discovery Emily Bear and the Alsatian blues talent Flo Bauer.
What criteria did you use to put together the line-up?
The festival name says it all. But we are not stubborn. Blues musicians from a wide range of genres are in the majority. However, there is also plenty of other music to be heard at our twenty concerts: Folk, funk, jazz, pop, rock, soul and more. We like to offer our audience a few stars, but also talents and insider tips, local artists and experiments.
The blues'n'jazz festival is beautifully situated.
What else is on offer besides the music?
We also call the blues'n'jazz Promenade Festival. The festival site and our stages are located in Rapperswil-Jona directly on Lake Zurich in the old town. It's wonderful to stroll from stage to stage, take a break, dine and snack. There are restaurants and market stalls, the opportunity to take a dip between two concerts and the train station and jetty are also very close by.
Festivals don't have a dress code. But is there anything you should bear in mind when it comes to clothing and outfits?
If you're coming to blues'n'jazz, you don't need to pack wellies. Large parts of the festival site are tarred and paved. And anyway, we've been promised that it won't rain this year.
What moment are you looking forward to the most?
The first concert every year. That "let's go now" moment.
What has been the most memorable/beautiful experience you've had with the festival?
There's nothing better than looking out of the window of an old town house in Rapperswil during blues'n'jazz at Fischmarktplatz. You can see the stage and experience a fantastic concert. Then you can also see all the happy people on the square: dancing and partying. There's also a sunset to marvel at, with a view of the harbor and the lake. Priceless!
How would youdescribeyour festival ina tweet?
blues'n'jazz Rapperswil-Jona is the icing on the Swiss festival cake.
Year of foundation:1999
Number of visitors: approx. 20,000 (over three days)
Biggest acts in 2017: Bob Geldof, Jan Delay, Züri West
Number of stages: 3
How to get there: Best by public transport. The festival site is located right next to Rapperswil train station.
Website:bluesnjazz.ch
