Within the framework of the festival, master classes and creative workshops will take place, in which several dozen young musicians from all over Latvia have applied for participation, as well as three gorgeous concerts.

The initiator of Ventspils Groove and the author of the idea, the director of Ventspils Musical High School, comments on this unique event in the Latvian cultural education space: "This music fascinates more and more young people both at Ventspils Musical High School and in our country as a whole. May the participants of the master classes have an exciting, emotional, exploratory experience, and may the jazz music lovers enjoy listening to both Groove concerts and open jam sessions". The head of the rhythm department of Ventspils Musical High School and the curator of the festival emphasizes creative cooperation and the European dimension as the values of this event: "Ventspils Groove aims to delight listeners with a variety of rhythm-music genres, as well as to give young musicians the opportunity to learn playing instruments and play in an ensemble with the best European musicians. The term groove in the context of music, refers to the phenomenon when several musicians, no matter how different they are and how many different instruments they play, are able to connect in one sense of time and rhythm. It is also the hope of Ventspils Groove organizers - that all participants, conductors and artists of master classes may join in the single groove!". 

Bodek Janke - percussions (https://www.bodekjanke.com) 

Kristjan Randalu - keyboards (https://www.randalu.com/) 

Paul Kleber - base 

Sebastian Studnitzky - trumpet (https://www.ky-music.com/) 

Siim Aimla - saxophone 

Neff Irizarry - guitar 

Susanna Stivali - vocal 

Inga Bērziņa - vocal 

Renārs Lācis - Junior big-band 

Maija Lāce - Junior big-band 

Concerts: 

 

 

FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST, 2021 at 19.00 - Asnāte Rancāne & Staņislavs Judins, Susanna Stivali & rhythm group. Open-air stage of the concert hall "Latvija" The first part of the concert will feature a duo of singer Asnāte Rancāne and double bassist Staņislavs Judins. The artists call themselves representatives of Latvian ethno-minimalist music. In his professional career, Judins drew inspiration from ethnic folk music, while Asnate Rancāne - from improvisation. The second part of the concert will feature the charming Italian jazz singer Susanna Stivali with an accompanying group of Latvian jazz musicians. Entrance free of charge. The concert is intended for mixed audiences, that can present the appropriate Covid-19 digital certificate. 

  

SATURDAY, 21 AUGUST, 2021 at 20.00 - Gala concert of the festival. Open-air stage of the concert hall "Latvija" In the first part of the GALA concert of Ventspils Groove, singer Aija Vītoliņa and percussionist Andris Buiķis will perform together with Ventspils big band led by Renārs Lācis. In the second part of the concert, the band Very Cool People will perform their new concert program "50 Years of Influence + 30 Years of Cool Equals 13 Years of Music Hooliganism". It combines jazz with classical music, Balkan music with metal, surf music with funk and soul, choir music with klezmer and music of people living in Latvia. The band continues to be "cool": Elvijs Grafcovs (guitar), Māris Jēkabsons (tenor saxophone), Kristaps Lubovs (baritone saxophone), Laura Rozenberga (trombone), Oskars Ozoliņš (trumpet), Māris Vitkus (keyboards), Jānis Olekšs and Andris Buiķis (drums). Entrance free of charge. The concert is intended for mixed audiences, that can present the appropriate Covid-19 digital certificate. The festival will take place thanks to the funding of Ventspils City Council and the State Cultural Capital Foundation program: "Nationally significant cultural events" and "Kurzeme cultural program".