ZMINA: Rebuilding - Ukrainian music at Berlin's XJAZZ FESTIVAL: Jazz is the language that brings people together
The project called Jazz Kontakt is interested in building bridges in both cultural and social areas and connecting communities. Music collaborations, workshops, and panel discussions – these are all goals set by the organizers, who aim to increase the presence of Ukrainian music culture worldwide. Read more in an interview with Anastasiia Pokaz, creative producer of XJAZZ! FESTIVAL.
Could you share more about the history of the festival for those who are not familiar with it?
Since its inception in 2014, which turned the German jazz scene on its head, XJAZZ! Festival has been known for causing a stir. Born from an independent and grass-roots desire to break with conventions, the festival offers a platform for both established and lesser-known artists to express themselves without restraints, merging styles and stretching out the definition of ‘jazz’ to a much broader and more exciting landscape than what is traditionally allowed – from modern classical to electronica and everything in between. After winning Festival of the Year in 2022 at the German Jazz Awards, XJAZZ! continues to uphold and exceed expectations as a premier event in the jazz scene, not only in Germany but across Europe.
For one week a year, Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighbourhood is taken by storm, becoming a world stage for everything new and avant-garde, and a playground for a diverse, urban audience. Spread across various venues, both large and small, XJAZZ! offers locals and newcomers a unique opportunity to explore music as well as the city in a new way. “The idea was to develop a jazz festival format which represents a clear antithesis to the established German jazz culture,” states founder and artistic director, Sebastian Studnitzky. The rebellious manifesto has persisted resolutely throughout the years, as XJAZZ! has grown into the most famous jazz festival in Germany attracting crowds of around 20,000 from around the world to Berlin.
What makes your festival different from other jazz festivals in Germany and worldwide?
This festival is dedicating itself not only to music, but also supporting the local music communities, puts social topics up for discussion, stands for equality and diversity. In 2022 XJAZZ! became also a media platform releasing interviews, live music videos and doing wide genre events all over the year in Berlin.
How do you usually select the artists for the festival?
This is a long term process that goes all year round.
The main idea is to put world known jazz names on one stage with local emerging artists giving them a chance to advance their careers. A lot of attention goes to artists in exile as well.
What criteria do you use to choose the international cities you collaborate with?
Open minded communities and cultural background. We are bringing XJAZZ! energy to different cities worldwide, present Berlin based artists and create collaboration opportunities for them.
One of your main goals is to build cultural and social bridges between the Ukrainian and German music communities. How successful have you been in achieving this goal this year?
I think we succeeded in accomplishing this goal. On one stage we‘ve brought together from one side well established Berlin-based bands and from the other the emerging gems of Ukrainian jazz scene. After each performance a jam session followed where artists from both countries could improvise and create together. After our events several international music projects were created.
How does jazz have the power to bring people together?
Jazz is the language that brings people together, no matter where they are from.
Please describe more about the preparation of non-concert events within the XJAZZ project. What kind of events are they?
Workshops where social topics are discussed, showcases to bring emerging artists new audiences, media partnerships with online magazines and radios… and much more!
XJAZZ! is a small team of basically 4 people, where everyone dedicates 110% of time to the project and to build new strategies to develop its efficiency.
It's hard to describe the preparation process as there is a lot of improvisation inside.
What was the biggest challenge in this year’s festival?
Due to cancellations of cultural funding in Germany the main challenge of this year‘s festival is survival.
What is the symbolic significance of the grand opening at the XJAZZ! Festival for Ukrainian artists? Which artists participated in it?
For the Grand Opening of the XJAZZ! FESTIVAL 2024 we brought amazing SHCHUKA RYBA, a folk group from Kyiv, Ukraine, formed in 2018 at the Ivan Honchar Museum. Comprising skilled ethnologists and folklorists, they focus on preserving traditional Ukrainian music and customs. Their repertoire features authentic songs from central Ukraine, performed without modern arrangements. SHCHUKA RYBA blends traditional sounds with contemporary instrumental music, breathing new life into age-old melodies. They're not just performers; they're cultural custodians, bridging the past with the present through their captivating musical endeavors.
SHCHUKA RYBA were the best representatives of Ukrainian music heritage for the international audience.
How has the partnership between Ukrainian and German artists evolved during the preparations?
The preparation was smooth and very well accepted. The artists were pleased to meet each other. This felt like a breath of fresh air for both sides!
What impact do you expect this project to have on the Ukrainian music scene and cultural identity?
We expect Ukrainian artists to get more recognition from European audiences and expand listener or follower base. We also expect them to discover new opportunities of bringing their projects worldwide, as we‘ve created a platform for their networking with German bookers and promoters.
How does the "Jazz Kontakt" project contribute to post-war recovery and reconciliation in Ukraine?
Every voice and note from Ukraine that reaches international audiences helps them understand how flourishing and blooming our culture is.
We truly believe that recovery is maintained through empathy and collaboration - this becomes possible through the emotional power of art.
What other events or initiatives are you planning after the completion of this project? Are you planning to continue the project next year?
Like previous years, during this edition XJAZZ! will bring Ukrainian topic to the table. We aim to book exiled artists and to maintain discussion panels on this topic. Since bringing artists from Ukraine is getting more and more sophisticated, at the moment we are in touch with exiled artists who are now in Berlin.
Author: Ján Janočko
ZMINA: Rebuilding is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors. The project is a cooperation between IZOLYATSIA (UA), Trans Europe Halles (SE) and Malý Berlín (SK).