EUROPE BLUES TRAIN FESTIVAL 2018

There is a universal language that connects people: music. In the colourful chaos of musical languages, the blues has an extra-ordinary position. Although it rises from a secret depth, it is simple and easy to understand. With the blues we are always on the way - and at the same time, already at home since a long time. 

When we are listening to somebody who plays and feels the blues, we do not ask where this person comes from. It is enough, to sway to the rhythms and let us be whisked away into the unknown. 

                                                                                                                                                         (from the foreword 2009 by Jan Štolba)

The history of the Europe Blues Train Festival started as a direct connection Berlin – Praha. In 2009, we presented in both cities on two weekends blues musicians from both countries together on stage, and we called it „Europe Blues Train Festival.“ 

So a project with a special format came into being. Together with a steadily growing network of partners who let the „Europe Blues Train“ stop at their locations we expanded the „rail network“ and spread a pan-European highlight of international understanding far beyond Berlin and Prague. Now the „virtual Europe Blues Train“ has musicians, music lovers, partners and sponsors on board and wherever this „train“ stops, there will be encounters of the „Blue Kind“ coloring the musical event.

Our bags are filled with jump blues, rhythm ’n’ blues, soul, jazz, funk, blues rock as well as grooves and melodies from many regions of this planet. With special instrumentation and impressive voices, different languages, energetic, poetic, and radiating good athmosphere the „Blues Train“ will pick you up and take you for a ride you won‘t forget, over to „Bluesville“ and beyond...

At every stop along the way we are celebrating the authentic and multi-faceted blues feeling and international diversity.  „Blues Made in Europe“ and „Blues Played in Europe“ meet its roots with excellent Blues Men and Blues Women from Europe and the whole wide world.

In Europe’s cultural diversity in every country and with every generation the musicians developed their own styles, marked by their cultures, mentalities and personalities. Also musicians from other continents settled down and established themselves in Europe. It is this diversity that we are happy to present and offer to everyone involved, to the audience, the artists, clubs. These are exciting concert nights full of musical  discoveries. 

We have presented more than 60 international bands in these ten years. We were happy to initiate musical cooperations between musicians from different countries and we experienced „Blues on the Train“ on a bluesy trip on Germany’s oldest museums train. 

We want to express our heartfelt thanks to all our partners, supporters, funders, sponsors, media partners, photographers, video artists, cooperation partners, friends and last but not least to the amazing audiences, who traveled with us and the „Europe Blues Train“ over the last ten years. 

Let the good times roll.

Birgit Bogner & Joe Kučera 

Berlin, December 2018