Page 51 - Akae Beka

Lucky Peterson plays to the crowd of the Jimiway Blues Festival in Ostrów
Wielkopolski, Poland. Photo courtesy of the Jimiway Blues Festival

sells out within a half hour of opening ticket sales, is held in the
beautiful hall of Ostrowskie Centrum Kultury. The Jimiway Blues
Festival prides itself on presenting a diverse variety of blues music
styles, and has become a destination for blues lovers in Poland
and worldwide.
Jimiway’s lineups boast a broad spectrum of the blues genre.
The festival is proud to present the best Polish blues artists –
veterans such as Tadeusz Nalepa, Dzem, Easy Rider, Irek Dudek,
Sławek Wierzcholski & Nocna Zmiana Bluesa, Leszek Winder
and Jan “Kyks” Skrzek, as well as talented representatives of
the younger generation, like JJ Band, Blues Doctors, Magda
Piskorczyk, HooDoo Band and the Boogie Boys. Over the
years, as the festival has gained international recognition and
importance, it has also attracted renowned American artists
including Sugaray Rayford, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Kenny
Neal, Joe Louis Walker, John Németh, Curtis Salgado, Nick
Moss, Coco Montoya, Tommy Castro, Toronzo Cannon, Mr.
Sipp, Lucky Peterson and Albert Cummings.
In addition to the artistic forces on stage, there is also an
acoustic blues scene, jam sessions and music photo exhibits.
The Jimiway Blues Festival not only brings the diversity of the
blues genre to Poland, but aims to reach out to young fans and
fuel the hope for a generational transfer of the blues tradition.
Festival attendees come from all walks of life and range from
grandparents to small children – all joining together in celebration
and adoration of the blues. Through its efforts for over 25 years,
the Jimiway Blues Festival is keeping the blues alive and well in
Poland. It has been recognized by The Blues Foundation with the
2020 Keeping the Blues Alive Award and Benedykt and Oskar
Kunicki accepted the award in Memphis.
This year’s festival will be held October 16-17, 2020. For
more information about the Jimiway Blues Festival, visit
Jimiway.pl and Facebook.com/JimiwayBluesFestival

Blues Festival Guide 2020 49