adminIn exactly one week it is time for already the eighteenth edition of the Amsterdam Roots Festival. Several stages in our multicultural capital are booked with artists from all over the world. Whether they’re from Belgium or Mali and whether they’ll be playing at the Melkweg or on an outdoor stage, Amsterdam has the resources to entertain you both musically and culturally for four different days. This year’s edition is divided into two sub festivals: Roots Indoor and Roots Open Air. Being a melting pot of cultures with a great passion for music, Rockstone Sessions cannot wait for it to start. We looked into the diverse line-up and highlighted one show for every day of the festival that we absolutely recommend seeing. Have a look and be inspired!
Soil & “Pimp” Sessions (Japan) – North Sea Jazz Club – Tuesday 30 June
The festival will kick off appropriately next Tuesday in the North Sea Jazz Club. A venue that hosts big artists in a setting inspired by the many clubs of New York. This particular night they give the floor to the Soil & “Pimp” Sessions from Japan, which means you can already mark two boxes on your cultural bingo chart. They are described as Japan’s hottest Jazz band, but don’t be surprised when you’ll hear them playing club or rock music as well. The six members are particularly known for their explosive shows, which they’ve done both in the Far East and in multiple European countries. Make sure you don’t miss this opportunity and check them out before they’ll return to Japan. Click on the video below for a further impression.
BKO Quintet (Mali) – Bimhuis – Friday 3 July
The Amsterdam Roots Festival makes it an easy step from an Asian Jazz band to a traditional African music group. We definitely suggest making use of this by seeing the BKO Quintet at the Bimhuis on Friday the third. The quintet is from Mali and was founded in 2013. They play beautiful psychedelic songs in which they both use amplified and traditional acoustic instruments. Moreover the BKO Quintet has a story. BKO is actually short for Bamako, which is the country’s capital. A city that used to be vivid and full of music, until the start of the civil war in 2012. Symbolically and in a manner of reconciliation the group brings together two different singing styles. Fassara Sacko sings in the rural griot tradition, while Nfaly Diakité represents the donso, which is played in the big city. A beautiful combination we definitely recommend seeing live. The video below is of their song called Comment ‘Ça Va?’
Balcony Players Festival (Holland, Belgium, Peru, USA) – Paradiso – Saturday 4 July
The Balcony Players Festival will without a doubt create an amazing intercultural party at Paradiso. The band’s composition has changed a lot since their start in 2009 and now consists of five members from four different countries. Every band member’s cultural background can be heard in the energetic repertoire, with an emphasis on gypsy/klezmer music. This particular repertoire is influenced a lot by the band’s travels as well, since they’re almost constantly on the road. The Balcony Players Festival is therefore often referred to as a nomadic band and whenever they’re not touring professionally, they are exploring different countries studying the folk music and culture of that region. Make sure you don’t miss their stop in Amsterdam next week, also because this show in Paradiso is the official party to release their new CD. Apart from this, The Underscore Orkestra will play for you as well. You reckon you still feel like partying after that? No problem, because Circus Hoppa will provide an appropriate after party. Check out the video below to get a sneak peak of the Balcony Players Festival’s energy.
La-33 (Colombia) – Park Frankendael – Sunday 5 July
After a couple awesome indoor shows, the festival is ready for its ultimate climax at Park Frankendael. Roots Open Air will be an entire day full of intercultural experiences and fantastic live performances. The World Stage, the Urban Stage and the Dance Court will bring you a great variety of international artists. In between there are plenty of other activities such as workshops and we definitely recommend having a look at the famous bazaar as well. Convenient detail is that the entire program won’t cost you any money too. A show we consider a definite must-see is the one of La-33, starting at half past seven on the World Stage. La-33 is a salsa band from the Colombian capital Bogotá and is inspired by the New York salsa of the seventies. Their extrovert and cheerful sound has become a symbol of the current Bogotá salsa and seeing their show will feel like a short visit to South America. Have a look at the clip below and you’ll understand!