midi.is

Reykjavík Blues Festival, March 18th – 21st
The Yardbirds , Magic Slim, Deitra Farr

Among the performers featured at this year’s Reykjavík Blues Festival are The Yardbirds. This band produced the ultra-talented Blues playing guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The Yardbirds paved the way for the Blues in UK pop music and had a tremendous impact on the contemporary music of the times. Also performing is Magic Slim, a living legend who’s coming straight from Chicago with his band, The Teardrops. The Blues diva Deitra Farr is also one of this year’s guest performers at the Reykjavík Blues Festival, as well as Vinir Dóra and many others. The Norwegian Blues duo Jolly Jumper & Big Moe, whose style is inspired by the Blues traditions of the early 1900s, will be attending the festival for their second time. The 2008 festival will also feature the music of The Nordic All Stars Blues Band. This band is made up of an elite selection of some of Scandinavia’s finest Blues musicians.

There are many Icelandic Jazz and Blues performers attending the festival this year. Among those is the well-known Bláir skuggar whose members include the talented Sigurður Flosason, Jón Páll Bjarnason, Þórir Baldursson and Pétur Östlund.

This is the 5th Anniversary of the Reykjavík Blues Festival. In celebration, musicians who have been presented with the award of Honorary Member of the Reykjavík Blues Association will be performing at this year’s festival.  These performers include Magnús Eiríksson, Björgvin Gíslason, Andrea Gylfadóttir and KK. In keeping with tradition, the Blues Festival will continue to spotlight new and upcoming Blues talent. These young musicians will be performing at Blues Festival club and at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica.

Concerts will be held at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 8pm. A Gospel concert will be held on Good Friday at 8pm (Fríkirkja city center). The Reykjavík Blues Festival will continue each evening from 10:30pm at the nightclub, Rubin in Öskjuhlíð.