Before talking about my experience at the festival, it would probably be better if I say a few words first…
I’m a long way off from becoming a music expert, even less a jazz expert. All I can talk about are the happy memories back home, where my dad, being a music lover himself, spreads lyrics and melodies around the house. Music has always been around, from family and friends gathering together to big celebrations, we have always had the pleasure of good music and always had our dancing shoes on.
You can imagine my absolute surprise and delight when I found out that Ireland hosts one of the top jazz festivals in the world, the Guinness Jazz Festival in Cork. Over the four day period, hundreds of musicians from across the world perform the various jazz styles, in all sorts of venues and stages. Once in Cork, we decided to go to as many places as possible, not to miss a thing.
The Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel and the Imperial Hotel are two of the biggest venues of the event. They both run several performances in different rooms at the same time, day and night. Great fun was had in the hotels, but they were a bit packed. Besides, we should have found out about all the performances beforehand, so the nights at the hotels wouldn’t have turned out to be more about going from one room to another than listening to music itself.
In Kinsale, on the other hand, south of Cork city, I found myself very close to the jazz essence. After strolling around the town’s picturesque streets and visiting Charles Fort, its most famous historic site, we went for a pint at The Bulman Pub. What a lovely, cosy atmosphere in stunning surroundings. Music all around, adults and children dancing, singing and lifting the mood. What a glorious feeling! All those good memories back home came alive inside me…
The Guinness Jazz Festival is definitely a must-do in Ireland, but don’t forget to check out the programme before going, or else you won’t enjoy it fully. And if you have time, take a trip to Kinsale, you won’t regret.
I’m very much looking forward to this year’s! Hope to meet you all there…
Le grá…
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