JazzAscona presents their 2022 Sister Cities Edition

Dee Dee Bridgewater is among this year’s headliners, with entirely free concerts for the first time in many years

After two years of forced silence, the Festival returns from June 23, 2022, to July 2, 2022, with the 38th Edition celebrating the official Sister Cities twinning with New Orleans.

In 2020, the Festival organized two short weekends of music with the “Jammin’ For New Orleans” initiative; in 2021, they were forced to throw in the towel. In 2022, however, the streets of Ascona and the Lake Maggiore shores will finally swing and dance once again, from June 23 to July 2. The 38th presentation will be the “Sister Cities Edition”. It will pay tribute to the official twinning agreement signed last September by the authorities of Ascona and the City of New Orleans. This edition will honor the Festival’s historical identity and will feature several interesting new elements.

Thanks to the Sister City agreement, a large delegation of New Orleans artists will be featured in Ascona, not only musicians but also dancers, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and Second Line dancers. The aim is to offer a broad and exciting overview of New Orleans’ culture. The spirit of the Sister Cities Edition is also to strengthen human and artistic bonds, with many bands consisting of New Orleans artists and European and local musicians. Attendees will experience an exciting mixture of creative collaborations and surprising musical configurations.

Some fifty New Orleans musicians will be welcomed over the two-week period. One of the most eagerly awaited featured artist is singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, who will perform a free concert on the evening of July 2 with the Grammy Award-winning New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Dee Dee had already performed in Ascona with the same orchestra in 2015, winning over and mesmerizing the audience. Her extraordinary career has led her to perform globally on the most renowned stages, and alongside many fellow stars. With her unmistakable voice and personality, Dee Dee is considered one of today’s greatest singers and entertainers. She is often compared to icons of the golden age, including Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, to whom she dedicated two albums, “Dear Ella” (1998) and “Eleanora Fagan: To Billie with Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater” (2009) that won three Grammy Awards. Dee Dee has also been part of acclaimed musicals and theatrical productions; she lives in New Orleans, where she has frequently worked with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.

In addition to the many New Orleans guests, JazzAscona 2022 will showcase European and Swiss bands and artists, offering various musical genres ranging from traditional jazz to swing, blues, soul, folk, and funk.

This year, JazzAscona will no longer be limited to the town’s lakefront. In addition to concerts on the main stages, there will be numerous new musical Rendez-vous between the artists and ensembles in ever-changing situations: street music, small acoustic and semi-acoustic shows that will create animated and dynamic musical atmospheres in the small squares, alleys, and public places of the Old Town. The aim is to honor the Festival’s original spirit and offer a more intimate, spontaneous, and involved experience.

After many years, the decision was made to return to free weekend concerts as was done in the 1980s when the Festival first began. JazzAsona would like to thank Ascona Locarno Turismo, the Municipality of Ascona, the public establishments of the Borgo, Hotellerie Suisse, and its numerous partners for making this possible.

In total, more than 350 events will take place during the 10-day Festival. The musical program – shaped by Matt Zschokke in Ascona in collaboration with Adonis Rose in New Orleans, will be revealed in the coming weeks.