At the final concert of the Blues nad Bobrem Festival, performances were given by Dżem, Obstawa Prezydenta, Maciej Dłużniewski and The Teachers Band—a ten-member ensemble of instructors.
Maciej Dłużniewski performed first; he is known as the new Tadeusz Nalepa. Dłużniewski’s band plays blues in new, lighter arrangements. The musicians dream of this type of music being played more often in the media.
The group of instructors gave a spectacular performance. They received enthusiastic applause from their students. Aleksandra Sozańska-Kut sang “Black Coffee” (from Ella Fitzgerald’s repertoire), Jacek Siciarek performed Ray Charles’s “Georgia on My Mind,” and Krzysztof “Puma” Piasecki played Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Roman Puchowski presented two of his own songs from the album “Simply.” Katarzyna Maliszewska also performed her own composition, “Sen.” Also playing on stage were Zbigniew Lewandowski on drums, Paweł Serafiński on keyboards, Roman Badeński on harmonica, Tomasz Grabowy on bass and Marek Napiórkowski on guitar..
The instructors also performed a costume scene about the adventures of the knight Tomir, owner of Kliczków Castle, his wife and the Czech warrior Bogdar. According to legend, Bogdar seduced the woman because he was younger and more handsome than her husband, had more courtly refinement and could sing songs. Jacek Siciarek, an instructor in the vocal class, created an exceptionally comic character while disguised as Tomir’s wife, Topolczanówna.
An auction was held during breaks between the groups’ performances, with proceeds allocated to financing one person’s participation in the workshops, selected by the Blues nad Bobrem Association. Approximately 1,400 złoty was raised. Grzegorz Roman conducted the auction with flair and effectiveness.
Obstawa Prezydenta performed its biggest hits, including “Zadowolić Zośkę,” and warmed up the audience before Dżem’s performance. Both Obstawa Prezydenta and Dżem were the first bands to perform at the event created in Bolesławiec. The Blues nad Bobrem Festival has undergone many changes, including a change of location, but it is still held and remains a unique event on a national scale.
(information: Grażyna Hanaf)
