[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 51, Issue 42

[Steve Barbone]

David Richoux <tubaman at tubatoast.com> wrote (polite snip)
> 
> There has  been a strong connection between modern and traditional
> arts & crafts and the New Orleans Jazzfest - the modern sculptors,
> painters and other artists fiercely compete for sales and awards each
> year! (as do the food vendors - not the typical hot dogs and cheeze
> pizza vendors for this crowd.)

> As a veteran arts & craft fest goer I can attest to the high quality
> of the contemporary crafts, as well as the traditional folkart crafts
> on display at Jazzfest.
> 
> I just did a search on "jazz fest arts and crafts" and I see that
> there are many festivals in the US and around the world that have
> combined jazz music and the "plastic arts." Some put the arts above
> the music - some the other way around.
> (maybe not the more traditional OKOM festivals as much... how many
> feathers, spangly hats that say "dixielandjazz" and such do we really
> need, anyway?)

Interesting point Dave. In the never ending search for more audience at
almost all events these days( including equestrian events wherein I
volunteer as a PR guy), the combination of Music and Plastic Arts makes a
lot of sense. It is another way to draw more audience.

Which is what interested me in the Tarragona Dixieland Festival to begin
with. They combine the two art forms. Our local equestrian events combine
the music and art with retail shops, antique car displays and other type
performances in order to draw more people also. Slowly but surely we are
drawing more audience to the main event, horses, by making it a family
outing. 

The New Orleans Photo Exhibit is one of the plastic arts displays that will
be at Tarragona. I guess because the theme is "New Orleans" this year. This
is the 14th year for this festival which is billed as the only Festival in
Spain featuring Dixieland, and hyped, rightly or wrongly, by the locals as
one of the most important Dixieland Festivals in Europe.

The expect in excess of 20,000 people, and some 4500 children. They promote
both youth band performances and professionals playing jazz for kids there,
which is also interesting.

If you google search <Tarragona Dixieland Festival> you come up with quite a
bit of information about it as well as a website you can access in English.
There are articles about it on "All About Jazz", "Jazz Review", "Europe
Jazz", "Wikipedia" and a bunch of others. The Wikipedia article is
interesting in that it lists the objectives of the festival. Sounds like
they have a marketing plan.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone