Every year in July

Rīgas Ritmi is a modern international music festival held annually in the first week of July in the capital of Latvia, Riga. This is one of the leading Baltic music festivals, which is known in Europe and the world. Rīgas Ritmi represents Latvia in the European Jazz Network (EJN).

In July 2001, the first Rīgas Ritmi festival took place. The annual Rīgas Ritmi festivals were attended by 520 artists from more than 20 countries. More than 400 concerts took place, their audience - 165,000 people.

At first the festival was jazz, but now Rīgas Ritmi also represents such genres as brasil, flamenco, ladino, fado and other areas of world music. The mission of the festival is to develop interest in non-academic music, offering the general public various musical styles - from jazz to funk and ethnic. Most concerts are free of charge. These are open-airs and concerts in the halls: in the Riga Congress House, in Verman Park, on the Origo summer stage, in the Egle leisure park, in the central squares, in music clubs and other places.

The Rīgas Ritmi festival is a real musical festival with the participation of famous artists: Bobby McFerrin, Diane Reeves, Take 6, Richard Bona, BBC Big Band, Avishai Cohen, Patti Austin, Scott Hamilton, Freddy Cole, Yellowjackets, Victor Wooten, Chick Correa, Butterscotch , Christian Scott, Antonio Sanchez, Pat Matheny. Young talents perform along with them - Grace Kelly, Eldar, Gerald Clayton, and the best Latvian musicians also take part in the festival.

The author of the idea of ​​the modern international jazz and improvisation festival in Riga is Latvian jazzman and producer Maris Briežkalns, artistic director and main organizer of the festival. The director of the festival is Diana Briezhkalne.

Since 2011, the festival also holds a spring and winter series of concerts. The culmination of the Rīgas Ritmi festival is the summer concerts that take place in the first week of July.

Cultural and educational projects

An important event of the festival is master classes and seminars for young musicians, which are conducted by famous performers, guests of Rīgas Ritmi. Musical education is one of the main tasks of the festival.

Therefore, in addition to concerts, the festival offers jam sessions, workshops and seminars in which famous musicians and music experts share their knowledge, talk about their performance techniques, listen to and advise beginning artists to help them achieve excellence. A lively dialogue, the opportunity to play and improvise with the great master becomes a unique experience for a young musician, which inspires and is remembered for a lifetime.

Brilliant master classes were given by Horacio el Negro Hernandez, Victor Wooten, Markus Stockhausen, Vinx, Bo Stief, Alex Wilson Salsa Orchestra.

The annual tradition until 2010 was the Riga Children's Festival, in the framework of which events were held for the youngest residents and guests of Riga. The children's groups of Latvia, famous artists took part in the festival, as well as the smallest performers who performed on stage were very successful. To tell and show what music is, to captivate children with music - has become the task of the Riga Children's Festival. .

Rīgas Ritmi Showcase

Another important element of the festival is the Rīgas Ritmi Showcase program. Every four years, Latvian artists perform specifically for foreign music experts. The task of Rīgas Ritmi Showcase is to introduce Latvian musicians to foreign producers, journalists and festival organizers.

Rigas Ritmi Festival Presentation in the USA

In the spring of 2011, the Rīgas Ritmi festival went on tour in the United States. Quintet Marisa Briezhkalns - Rīgas Ritmi ALL STARS gave a series of concerts and interviews throughout America. The culmination of the tour was the debut of the ensemble in the world famous New York jazz club Blue Note. For the first time, Latvian artists were the highlight of the program of this jazz club. The program was sponsored by New York University NYU and the New York Foundation for the Arts NYFA.