Richard Bona, Ibrahim Maalouf and Dee Dee Bridgewater, in the 10th Vijazz Penedès

Richard Bona's promotional photo courtesy of  Vijazz Festival

Vijazz Penedès Festival reaches its tenth edition. The festival has presented the artist that from 1 to 3 July 2016 will make the Penedès region a Jazz hotspot with a series of free concerts.

The headliners of the three days, acting on the stage of the Vilafranca del Penedès Jaume I square are: Friday July 1, the singer Dee Dee Bridgewater -winner of three Grammy awards- accompanied by a quintet in which highlights the trumpeter Theo Crocker.

On Saturday July 2, 2016 will go scene Cameroonian bassist and singer Richard Bona, blending African and Cuban music, with the band Mandekan Cubano for the first time in Catalonia.

On Sunday July 3 will be the turn of trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf and the project 'Red & Black Lights' that fuses jazz, roots music and oriental music resulting in a full musical experience.

But the list of international artists don't finish here, also there will act Manu Katché, drummer that has accompanied Sting and now is part of the group of the great Peter Gabriel, discovering its jazzy side. Also will take the stage the English trio GoGo Penguin that fuse jazz with electronic music.

Of course there will also perform Catalan artists such as Eva Fernandez Group, Sinead Savage & The Boys, Roger Electric Lab, The Hat Hausen Elastic Band, Wax & Boogie Rhythm Combo ...

New Spaces

The Vijazz this year include the Cava space in the Renaissance cloister of San Francisco. Here female jazz proposals will be scheduled under the title 'They and the Jazz' and all profits will be donated to the association of Vilafranca fighting breast cancer.

There will also be a new space to rest, the Space Lounge Vallformosa in the Rambla de Nuestra Señora, with music by Dj. and finally, a gastronomic space, the Food & Jazz Plaza, with 10 foodtrucks accompanied by jazz music.

Cavas and Wine Fair

Obviously in a festival called Vijazz you can not miss the Penedès wine and wineries. More than 40 wineries in the Penedès participate in the traditional Fair of wines and cavas.

Although the concerts are free, not wines, the tasting tickets worth 11 euros and include three tastings, a glass of Riedel and access to the chairs's area -if there is availability-.

If the Vijazz turns 10, the Tastavins Penedès turns 50th birthday. The opening dinner of Vijazz Penedès on 27 June in the Casal de Vilafranca, the president Puigdemont will be sworn Academic Merit Tastavins Penedès.