Ukraine in the focus of Stockholm Women's International Jazz Festival
March 8, 2023
The Stockholm Women’s International Jazz Festival 2023 jubilee edition for the first time in the festival’s history will devote full programme to one country: Ukraine
About the project
In collaboration with the Ukrainian Institute and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Sweden, the festival has selected 3 Ukrainian bands, led by women and playing for the first time in Stockholm.
Semente Cultural Productions as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine, dedicated the program only to Ukrainian performers. In this way, they want to support not only the ones who are generally under-represented on stages but also those whose voices are silenced and whose culture is threatened.
When: Wednesday 8th March 2023
Auction
The Festival partnered with Fasching Jazz club, that will host a special exhibition of Jenny Svenberg Bunnel’ sketches from all our 4 past Festival editions. She had the opportunity to draw live all the artists who passed on the stage. To Jenny the Festival also commissioned the painting used for this year’s Festival edition official poster. An original piece of art entitled “Peace” is at the auction from 8 to 28 February, in order to collect money in support of Jazz Club 32 in Kyiv.
Jenny Svenberg Bunnel’ sketch
Ukrainian musicians' tour in Sweden
In the spirit of collaboration and support, the Knutpunkt, a network of 21 concert organisers in the western part of Sweden, have booked more gigs for the Ukrainian artists invited to play on our stage. In this way both sides are given the possibility to meet and, at the same time, to extend the artist’s audience and the promoters’ artistic offer.
GANNA:
9th of March – Jazz i Helsingborg
10th of March – Lerum (double concerto)
11th of March – L´Jazz Ljungskile
12/3 Gothenburg (GAC)
LELÉKA:
9th of March – Älmhult Folkets Hus
10th of March – Lerum (double concerto)
11th of March – Lidköpings Konsertförening
12th of March – Kulturbruket på Dal i Mellerud
Buy tickets and read more about venues here.
Along with the tour there will be a possibility for Ukrainian musicians and representative of Ukrainian institute of participating at Regional meeting for organizers of music events in Goteborg (10-12.03.). Special panel will be devoted to cooperation opportunities of Swedish festivals with Ukrainian music industry.
Artists
Photo: Dovile Sermokas
LELÉKA is a young multicultural Berlin based quartet around the Ukrainian singer Viktoria, whose voice determines the character and atmosphere of their music. The wide range from dynamic grooving passages to tender folk music ballads, finds the perfect setting in a contemporary jazz vernacular, which the quartet has developed into a diversified concept.
LELÉKA is a successful example of a young formation that occupies a well-considered place within this borderline-smashing genre. This exceptional position in the world of music made them laureates of the Creole Global Music Contest Berlin, Munich Young Jazz Preis, the European Jazz Award Burghausen or nominee of the German Jazz Award as “Band of the Year 2022”.
LELÉKA quartet:
- Viktoria Leléka (UA), voice, composition
- Povel Widestrand (SE), piano
- Thomas Kolarczyk (DE), double bass
- Jakob Hegner (DE), drums
Photo Credit: Tanya Vilchynska
ROKSANA SMIRNOVA, piano, composition & MISHA KALININ, guitar, composition.
Over the last seven years Roksana and Misha have been developing their duo sound. The result inspires a ride through an imaginary world of landscape and story.
The combination of Roksana’s delicate yet playful piano playing with Misha’s atmospheric soundscapes creates a unique, almost unidentifiable new ensemble sound that eludes genre.
Their performances feature original compositions by both members of the duo. The music brings together strongly contrasting elements: spacious impressionistic sound, improvisational interaction, dynamic rhythmic structures and sounds dissolving in silence.
Photo: Dovile Sermokas
GANNA is the international ethnic jazz ensemble from Berlin for which Ganna composes and arranges. As the voice of Ukrainian resistance, GANNA’s artistry is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. A powerful blend of reinterpreted Ukrainian folk songs and modern jazz.
Inspired by several musical research trips to different regions of Ukraine, GANNA awakens Ukrainian folklore to a second spring and takes the audience on a journey. Since 2015, the band has been performing all over Europe, delighting audiences at various festivals, opening for Avishai Cohen (tr) and Gerald Clayton. On 30 November 2022, BERTHOLD records released GANNA’s new album HOME.