Grapa Black Music Festival 2022

On August 5, 6 and 7, the Parque del Muelle de Avilés will once again vibrate with the best black music on the current scene. The festival returns to its original location in the dock park, to fill the entire city with Blues, Soul, Funk, Reggae, RB, Rock or Afrobeat.

This year we will have the pleasure of hearing and seeing great Soul artists like Carlton Jumel Smith or J.P. Bimeni The Black Belts, emerging stars like Vanessa Collier and Alexis Evans, top international bands like Lehmanns Brothers and Travellin Brothers, and the best of the national scene, with groups like The Soulers, Alber Solo The Firebirds and Akin The Afrobeat Brothers.

Friday, August 5

The Soulers

Asturian group that unites the rock roll of the 50s, with the funk of the 60s and 70s, going through jazz, swing, RB and, of course, soul, as reflected in their album “From side to side “.

Vanessa Collier

Vanessa N. Collier is an American blues, funk, and soul saxophonist, singer, and songwriter. She has been nominated seven times at the Blues Music Awards winning two awards in 2019 and 2020.

JP Bimeni  The Black Belts

JP Bimeni is an artist from Burundi currently living in the UK. A self-taught musician, he has been part of many bands, and this year he is visiting Avilés in the company of The Black Belts, a band made up of 6 musicians from the Madrid scene (Rodrigo Díaz on drums, Pablo Cano on bass, Fernando Vasco on guitar, Álex Lárraga on keys, and Ricardo Martínez and Rafael Díaz on trumpet and sax respectively). Guitars, keyboards, a horn section, and Bimeni’s enveloping voice, all prepared to make us dance to the rhythm of rhythm and blues.

Travellin’Brothers

Travellin’Brothers are one of the most respected bands in European blues. Coming from Bilbao, the sextet comes to present their tenth album “Coming Home” (Magnolia Records, 2022) which, although developed in times of pandemic, keeps its vital spirit intact by immersing itself in the tradition of African-American sounds.

Saturday August 6

Alber Solo   The Firebird Blues

Alber Solo is a Spanish musician, singer and composer born in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona) and resident in Madrid who has been touring Spain with his guitar for many years. Seasoned in all kinds of scenarios, he comes to Avilés to demonstrate his talent and passion for the music that he likes the most, where he mixes blues, soul and funky.

Alex Evans

Alexis Evans formed his first band, Jumping At The Westside, when he was only 16 years old, with which he won first prize in a contest that allowed him to participate in the Memphis Blues Challenge and perform in the United States. The French RB’s child prodigy is a musician with an irresistible voice who, moreover, dominates the stage like few others do. Soul and cool RB, supported by some notes of jazz that invite the entire audience to sing and dance.

Carlton Jumel Smith The Principles of Joy

Carlton Jumel Smith, known as ‘Good-God’ Soul Man (the ‘Good God of Soul), is a singer and songwriter born in New York who has released several albums, the most prominent being 1634 Lexington Avenue, released in 2019. Born in the Harlem neighborhood, is one of the best representatives of American Soul, with the spirit of gospel also being very present in his music.

The Lehmann’s Brothers

The young French band The Lehmanns Brothers closes on Saturday night. Seventies Funk rhythms, Jazz chords, touches of Afrobeat hip hop or influences from James Brown, Jamiroquai or the Roots coexist in his songs.

Sunday August 7

Akin The Afrobeat Brothers

To close the festival, on Sunday the 7th in a vermouth session, the band from Gijón, Akin The Afrobeat Brothers, will perform.