The annual Canarias Jazz Festival returns on July 3rd, with concerts across five of the seven islands, many of which are free. This is the eighteenth year of this international festival, which is organised by the Canarian Government.  And tourists staying in Lanzarote villas, hotels and apartments are all invited to attend.

Two concerts are taking place in Lanzarote, on the 3rd and 4th of July. The first of these features the group Mezzoforte, veterans of jazz-funk fusion who have been performing since 1977. Hailing from Iceland, they have built up an international following over the last thirty years, with their 1983 album ‘Garden Party’ probably the best known of their works.

Their music has developed over the years into a distinctive and mature sound, whilst they cite Miles Davis, Weather Report and Earth, Wind and Fire as early influences. With eleven albums under their belt, a twelfth release is anticipated this year.

Following Mezzoforte onstage in Teguise will be the duo Okou. Formed by the singer and composer Tatiana Heintz and the guitarist Gilbert Trefzger, the pair have joined forces to produce new interpretations of rhythm and blues. Tatiana’s previous collaborations have included working with Mick Jagger and the Five Coomers Quintet, whilst Gilbert has been playing guitar since the age of nine. He has worked with the vocalist Roy Ellis and Nitin Sawhney in the recent past.

Okou and Mezzoforte can be seen from 21.00 on Friday 3rd July in the historic quarter of Teguise, where free concerts are held in the market square. The second free concert will take place at the Municipal Theatre in San Bartolomé, also beginning at 21.00 on Saturday 4th July.

Appearing at the San Bartolomé concert will be Lanzarote born guitarist Diego Barber. Critically acclaimed for his compositions and playing, Barber began his musical career with years of classical training in Madrid and Salamanca. It was only when he relocated to New York that he began to experiment with jazz guitar.

The Diego Barber Quartet will be performing works from ‘Calima’, the first composition Barber has written, which has obvious reference to his Canarian birthplace in the title. Barber will be accompanied by Seamus Blake on sax, Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on the bass.

Also playing at San Bartolomé will be the Patricia Kraus Quartet, led by the eponymous singer, who has gone from performing pop music to jazz, soul and blues. A gifted vocalist, Patricia is also known for training singers, from aspiring opera stars to participants in ‘Operación Triunfo’, Spain’s version of X Factor. The quartet comprises Gherardo Catanzaro on keyboard, Daniel Assante on drums and Enrico Barbaro on the bass.