Jazz à Vienne celebrates late Miles Davis for 45th edition • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Jazz à Vienne: An annual international jazz festival held in Vienne, France, known for its historic Roman theater setting.
• Second Line: A traditional New Orleans brass band parade style, often associated with jazz funerals and community celebrations.
• Akutuk: A traditional Cameroonian musical practice involving water percussion, historically performed by women.
• Miles Davis 100 Years of Influence: A commemorative exhibition celebrating the centennial of the legendary jazz musician’s birth.
• Cultural Exchange: The ongoing artistic and historical partnership between New Orleans and France, rooted in shared Creole heritage.

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1. Festival Overview and Setting

The 45th edition of the Jazz à Vienne festival runs until July 11th. The event is characterized by its unique historical backdrop, utilizing a 2,000-year-old Roman theater.

• Scale: The festival hosts approximately 167 concerts and attracts over 220,000 attendees annually.
• Programming: The lineup features a global array of artists, including Jon Batiste, Marcus Miller, and the Buena Vista Social Club, alongside local French and African performers.

2. Featured Performances and Cultural Highlights

• Jon Batiste: A major highlight of this year’s festival, marking his first performance under his own name at the event. The show is a collaborative production with the New Orleans Museum, featuring trumpeter James Andrews.
• Blues Night: A staple of the festival, featuring artists like Steven Hall and Fantastic Negrito, the latter of whom was noted for a "spiritual" performance style.
• Akutuk (Water Percussion): A Cameroonian trio demonstrated this ancestral tradition. Performed in water, the practice originated from the Congo basin and is deeply tied to the history of women in the Bassa tribe. According to performer Louise Zongo, the practice is physically demanding—comparable to professional athletics—and serves as a form of sisterhood and life celebration within a patriarchal structure.

3. The New Orleans Connection

The festival places a heavy emphasis on the cultural ties between France and New Orleans.

• Second Line Parade: James Andrews led a traditional New Orleans "Second Line" through the streets of Vienne, performing classics like "When the Saints Go Marching In."
• Historical Context: Andrews noted that the connection is sustained by the shared history of the French language and Creole culture in New Orleans. The festival serves as an educational hub, with conferences dedicated to teaching the history of New Orleans music, including jazz, blues, and gospel.

4. Miles Davis Centennial Exhibition

To honor the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis’s birth, the festival is hosting an exhibition titled "Miles Davis 100 Years of Influence" in a desacralized church in Vienne.

• Exhibition Content: The display includes a comprehensive discography featuring rare vinyl records from private collectors, illustrative cartoons detailing his life, and a series of academic conferences led by musicologists and journalists.
• Significance: Miles Davis had a profound relationship with the festival, having performed there four times, including one of his final European concerts in 1991.

5. Synthesis and Conclusion

Jazz à Vienne functions as more than a concert series; it is a multidisciplinary cultural event that bridges the gap between ancient history and modern musical innovation. By integrating diverse global traditions—such as Cameroonian water percussion—with the deep-rooted jazz heritage of New Orleans and the legacy of icons like Miles Davis, the festival provides a comprehensive educational and artistic experience. The event successfully leverages its unique Roman setting to foster international dialogue and preserve the historical narratives of the jazz genre.