The Italian bandeon player, Daniele di Bonaventura, and guitarist Roberto Zechini, in addition to friendship, also share music and the stage. The same happened in Kosovo. They brought an attractive concert through the improvisation of works on the spot and opened the second edition of "Peja Jazz" with it.
Even before the concert, with which the ribbon of the second edition of the "Peja Jazz" festival was cut, the scenography attracts attention. Minimalist, but meaningful, with carpets of traditional motifs under the shade of red and white, together with the antique lamp and the design of several balls that occupy the big screen of the "Jusuf Gërvalla" cinema.
Exactly on this elegantly curated stage, there were two eminent names of jazz music, who for an hour and a few minutes would get the attention of the listeners.
The Italian bandeon player, Daniele di Bonaventura, and guitarist Roberto Zechini, in addition to friendship, also share music and the stage. The same happened in Kosovo. They started at the concert with "I solisti romani" at "Kino Armata" on Tuesday evening, to continue with Peja on Wednesday night. Both of them brought with them genuine musical communication, rhythmic harmony among themselves and above all the good energy they convey to the public through their closeness. This is how they kept the rhythm of "Peja Jazz", born in times of pandemic as a counterpoint to the situation.
They were spared from being under the rules of a program where the works are listed. They let themselves be completely free. A few minutes before the execution in front of the public, they decided what they would present themselves with. This was just a sign of their professionalism. Narrative in itself is how this was felt and accepted, quite naturally, just like their interpretation which comes as a synonym for originality.
It was the works in standard jazz, such as "Like Beautiful love", "My romance", "Someday my prince will come" which they performed with great enthusiasm. But, precisely the professionalism of the composers, led them to play the works they created. Like "Gulla", "Il Mentecatto", "Una specie d'Irlanda" by Zechini and "Paquito", "Ballata triste", "Cosi lontano cosi vicino" by Bonaventura, which as an integral part of the 14-track album "Ava Tera ", brought the rhythmic magic sometimes to the calming of the public, and sometimes to the charming combination of the two artists on stage.
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For some in the hall, it was the first time they were hearing the sounds of the bandeon instrument, just as the bandeonist who had started his journey with music since the age of 8 was performing for the first time in Kosovo.
"It's my first time in Kosovo, I see the energy in young people in cities, bars, restaurants. It is very interesting coming here for me. I live in Italy, but I told my friends that there is a very depressed atmosphere in the whole country because of the pandemic. When I came here I saw a new path...", Daniele di Bonaventura, whose name goes through music, cinema and Italian theater, told KOHEN.
"We played tonight from our compositions, from our last album 'Ava Tera', standard jazz and Italian folk", said the composer who has performed in Spain, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina.
Asked about the differences between Pristina and Peja, he said that the capital is "big", while he describes the city in the western part of Kosovo as mountainous.
"Roberto is my brother, I've been playing with him for 30 years, it's a very natural game, we can go in opposite directions and music makes us follow each other. It's very free and we can meet at a point again", he said, referring to the improvisational program of the concert.
Guitarist Roberto Zechini has a special emotional connection with Kosovo, for whom the arrival is not the first time. He even, during the performance, dedicated one of his songs to his roommates, the Kosovar musicians.
"It was 2006, the first time I came to play at a Festival in Tirana. It was a very powerful trio from Kosovo, they loved my music and came to listen to me at every concert. At the end of the concert, we played together", he told KOĖN, valuing it as the best memory with the Albanians.
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In the eyes of the guitarist, who, in addition to music as a composer and instrumentalist, also deals with philosophy and the Russian language and literature, Kosovo is an energetic country with its young people.
"I know the tradition of this country and music is the unifier of us (as people) and traditions", said the guitarist who has traveled with music in many European, Asian and African countries.
"We decided five minutes before the concert", is Zechin's answer to the improvisational interpretations with a completely free format in the selection. "We were here with "I solisti romani", the musical classic. Here we are free to have a free play not only with the music but also with our friends. Do you want to play this? Yes, then let's play it."
Dardan Selimaj, in the capacity of the curator of the second edition of "Peja Jazz", since the opening, said that this festival started at the time when everything was canceled due to the pandemic.
"Even this year we have four concerts, one has already passed, which was a warning of this edition", alluding to the concert of "Contraccordiano Trio" and Claude Vadasz, which was held in November at the "Jusuf Gërvalla" cinema in within the 20th edition of the Francophone Film Festival in Kosovo.
Rina Statovci, in the capacity of the organizer of "Peja Jazz", said that she was honored by the performance of two artists, according to her, extraordinary.
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"The audience really enjoyed themselves to the sound of their music, which was totally improvisation, not a program they had in mind. It was amazing to see and we are very happy that we had the opportunity to bring something like this to the public of Peja", she said.
"Peja Jazz" continued its journey with the concert of "AJS Quartet" from Tirana with Gent Rushi, Ermal Rodi, Emilijan Dhimo and Roni Gjura.
