Teona

It’s past mid-August and here we are after another even more impressive Smida Jazz Festival edition. It was great. If you’re in for an extended weekend away in Apuseni Natural Park, accompanied by carefully selected, contemporary jazz artists and outdoor activities, this is the festival to go to. Smida Jazz Festival attracts people with musical tastes similar to yours. It’s fun, it’s eclectic, it’s cosy, it has great people and you’re in one of the most beautiful areas that Transylvania has to offer. Plus, you have the Belis-Fantanele lake within walking distance if you’re in for a refreshing swim on a scorching summer day. Come to think of it, this festival has it all, it found just the right recipe with the best ingredients. Whether you want to sit around a bonfire with your friends and sip whiskey with music playing in the background, or you want to fly a kite with your kids or read in a hammock while your dog makes new friends, the world is your oyster. You can make Smida your own playground, whether you go to bed after the last gig has ended or stay up to watch the sunrise. You can do yoga, learn creative writing, meet contemporary writers and go to their reading. Or simply sip some beers in front of the stage. Either way, you can spice things up with some more physical activities. Take a walk in the forest and admire the amazing plants and trees. Say hi to passers-by and campers. If you do, they might share some nice brandy with you :) Hold off on any encounters with bears, though. Of course, there’s not enough time to savour everything, although time feels too slow down a bit while there. Listening to live music surrounded by all sorts of interesting people in the chilly nights of Smida, breathing in the fresh air, it’s an experience you can’t reproduce. Below you can see some of the artists that impressed me, some I’ve just discovered at Smida, others I knew of but had never heard them in a live concert before and they just hypnotized me: Day 1 | Leo Betzi Trio Day 2 | James Holden & The Animal Spirits Day 3 | Mammal Hands Day 4 | Grey Paris | The new up and coming artist that won the Jazz in the Park competition this year If you want to explore the depths of your mind and soul, give these guys a listen. Or, better yet, just come to Smida next year. P.S. Last year was also a nice experience, you can find out more here.

SMIDA – The most avant-garde jazz festival

Smida, the amazing festival in no-man’s-land