The new edition of the Jazz sa Pobla festival champions music as a tool for social transformation.

Palm"Everyone has spoken and everyone has had their opinion, but the author, with her creative freedom, interpreted what we told her, which is that this year we had programmed a handful of committed musicians who have dedicated part of their careers to fighting for social rights and equality." These are the words of Pep Crespí, director of the Jazz sa Pobla festival, referring to the controversy surrounding the poster for its thirty-first edition, designed by Lluïsa Febrer. A few hours before the event begins, Crespí highlights the committed and assertive nature of some of the main names in this year's program, from double bassist Christian McBride to singer Marion Rampal, and musicologist Antoni Pizà, who will give a lecture entitled Jazz and the Fight for Civil Rights: A Contemporary Perspective.

Beyond the lineup, the star of this year's edition is, in fact, the musician Christian McBride, considered one of the great double bass virtuosos. It was in 2020 when the musician published The movement revisited, a project he had been working on for more than two decades and which he dedicated to paying tribute to four key figures in the fight for African-American rights: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. "Being able to have Christian McBride in Sa Pobla is a real luxury," acknowledges Crespí, "because we're talking about one of the most important musicians of recent decades. Before, the double bass was an instrument that went more unnoticed, but now it almost draws more attention than the piano. In addition, McBride is part of a generation that has been in a generation of his career." Christian McBride Trio, with Benny Green on piano and Gregory Hutchinson on drums, will be the star of the opening concert, which will take place this Thursday 24th in Can Cirera Prim park.

For her part, the French singer Marion Rampal is considered one of the emblems of protest jazz. "We often think that protest songs only include folk or rock, but in jazz we also have numerous examples, such as Rampal, who will invoke an immense artist in his Sa Pobla concert," explains the festival director. The artist in question is Abbey Lincoln, a musical icon and civil rights activist who published "The Song of the Dead" in 1960. We insist! Freedom Now Suite, a collaboration with drummer Max Roach that also served to take a stand against the racism and oppression prevalent at the time. Rampal pays tribute to him with the repertoire of Song for Abbey, the concert he will give on Tuesday, July 29, also in Can Cirera Prim park.

"Daahoud Salim, the pianist who will perform on August 5, is also known for his social commitment, which in the case of the festival is also manifested in the lecture by musicologist Antoni Pizà and the collaboration with the Pa i Mel association. The intention is for the festival to contribute to supporting vulnerable groups, a very good way to fight for equality," highlights Pep Crespí.

The boost to new talents

For another year, the festival has a parallel program, Jazzdara, dedicated to young musicians and artists and local talent. Designed by Sa Pobla musician Miquel Bennàsar, the program includes four performances taking place from July 30 to August 21, featuring musicians such as Pere Navarro, Sinéad Cormican, Miquel Àngel Rigo, and Sara Lilu. The festival will also close with the Sa Pobla Jazz Collective, a big band formed mainly by Mallorcan musicians, with the aim of giving a voice to young local talents.