The 18th edition of SPIAGGE SOUL is back on the beaches of Ravenna with its rhythms and emotions, collected all around Italy and the world.
From 23rd to 26th July the coast of Ravenna is ready and proud to host a month full of concerts free and right by the sea, in Piazza Dora Markus in Marina di Ravenna.
A musical journey tracing the origins of Black Music and its evolution right up to contemporary forms.
Four days, eight concerts and opportunities to meet artists from all over the world. From African roots to soul, from the blues to New Orleans influences, this edition – entitled Safari Njema – will be one of the most international and ambitious projects in the festival’s history.
Spiagge Soul is a festival organized by Associazione Culturale “Blues Eye” with the artistic direction of Francesco Plazzi, the support of the Municipality of Ravenna, the Emilia-Romagna Region, Apt Service, with the collaboration of the Proloco of Marina di Ravenna, in addition to the precious contribution of private workers.
PROGRAMME
THURSDSAY 23RD JULY
NEW ORLEANS LUNCH WITH JAMES MARTIN ACOUSTIC DUO (USA)
Where: Trattoria Le Corti – Viale delle Nazioni, 51
Time: 1 pm
Saxophonist, singer, songwriter and bandleader: James Martin is an established, multi-award-winning artist from New Orleans.
JJ THAMES & LUCA GIORDANO BAND (USA/ITA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 8.30 pm
A powerful, husky voice that developed in Detroit, steeped in the sounds of jazz, rock, gospel and Motown, in choirs, jazz bands, musical theatre productions and hip-hop scenes.
BUTTER FUNK FAMILY (USA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 10.30 pm
The dynamic band, fronted by two-time GRAMMY® winner Printz Board, will be performing tracks from their new EP, FACTS, alongside those from their previous EP, DOWNTOWN.
FRIDAY 24TH JULY
NOMFUSI – LE RADICI DELLA VOCE (ZAF)
Where: Circolo Velico Ravennate – Via Molo Dalmazia, 89
Time: 11 am
A meeting with the artist Nomfusi, one of the most authentic and captivating voices in contemporary African music.
NEW ORLEANS LUNCH WITH JAMES MARTIN ACOUSTIC DUO (USA)
Where: Trattoria Le Corti – Viale delle Nazioni, 51
Time: 1 pm
Saxophonist, singer, songwriter and bandleader: James Martin is an established, multi-award-winning artist from New Orleans.
FALOU SAEK & THE MELTING BEATS (SEN/ITA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 8.30 pm
The band, led by the Senegalese percussionist Falou Seck and made up of young musicians active on the Padua jazz scene, blends a variety of sounds from around the world.
NOMFUSI (ZAF)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 10.30 pm
One of the most authentic and captivating voices in contemporary African music.
SATURDAY 25TH JULY
JACK BROADBENT (UK)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 9 pm
Winner of the 2025 Boisdale Jazz/Blues Artist of the Year award, he is regarded as one of the most original figures on the contemporary blues scene.
LISA HUNT SOUL BAND (USA/ITA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 10.45 pm
She began singing in the great African-American tradition of gospel music, eventually going on to share the stage with some of the greatest names in music, from Zucchero to Pavarotti, and from Eric Clapton to Miles Davis.
SUNDAY 26TH JULY
JAMES MARTIN QUARTET (USA/ITA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 8.30 pm
Saxophonist, singer, songwriter and bandleader: James Martin is an established, multi-award-winning artist from New Orleans.
SANDRO JOYEUX (FRA/ITA)
Where: Piazza Dora Markus
Time: 10.30 pm
A burst of pure energy, a journey through the rhythms of the desert and the dusty roads of West Africa, from the Parisian banlieues to the reggae of the Jamaican ghettos.
For more information about the artists click HERE
