GEZMATAZ
The Gezmataz Festival returns for its 22nd edition in the summer of 2025, with a program that continues the path taken in recent years, focused on the fusion of cultures and on connections and crossovers between different peoples. The key word for this edition will be Rawabet, which means “connections” in Arabic: a sonic and cultural bridge between musicians and communities from diverse backgrounds, built around the themes of identity, migration, and intercultural dialogue.
Special attention will be given to Middle Eastern cultures, thanks to the international project supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe program, of which the Gezmataz Festival is a part. The initiative aims to explore how jazz connects different cultures, drawing strength from the migration process and all that it brings with it. The Rawabet project is led by Ettijahat – Independent Culture (Beirut/Brussels) and carried out in partnership with CNCM VOCE (Pigna, France), Gezmataz (Genoa, Italy), Coculture (Berlin, Germany), Masahat for Arab Culture in Exile (Oslo, Norway), and Transversal Project (Malmö, Sweden).
We are ready to kick off the end-of-summer concerts of the Gezmataz Festival!
From September 12th to 14th, the Sala del Minor Consiglio at Palazzo Ducale will host three events that fully embody the theme of Rawabet – “connections” – the common thread of this year’s program, through multidisciplinary performances where music, visual arts, dance, and storytelling intertwine in a creative dialogue.
An original performance will debut, created by Camilla Cicciotti (dance), Valeria Pittaluga (keyboard), and Giovanni Pittaluga (guitar), built around the concept of biomimicry.
Biomimicry is the observation and imitation of natural processes and forms to develop innovative solutions across various fields, from art to technology. In this performance, biomimicry becomes a metaphor for creative exploration: just as nature inspires new perspectives, musical instruments will be “rediscovered” and used in unconventional ways, revealing unexpected potential and new forms of interaction with the movement of dance.
Sala del Minor Consiglio, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa – 7:00 PM
Tickets: €10, available at the box office
Anime Sognanti ("Dreaming Souls") will take the stage — a journey through painting and sound featuring Alberto Valgimigli, a Genoa-based artist and illustrator known for his work in painting, set design, and editorial illustration, with exhibitions in Italy and abroad.
During the performance, Valgimigli will create a live artwork in close connection with the music of Tommaso Rolando, a Genoese multi-instrumentalist and composer, former double bassist for international projects, and a sonic explorer whose work ranges from jazz and folk to experimental sounds.
Their interaction will unfold as a dialogue between painted gesture and soundscape, where each brushstroke responds to a musical vibration — and vice versa.
Sala del Minor Consiglio, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa – 7:00 PM
Tickets: €10, available at the box office
We will close the trilogy of performances at Palazzo Ducale with Chilean comic artist Paloma Suazo, a former student of Andrea Ferraris and already featured in this format during last year’s edition. This year, she will be joined by Stefano Bergamaschi, a versatile multi-instrumentalist and composer whose career spans from world music to contemporary jazz, with collaborations on international projects.
Together, they will explore the fusion of visual storytelling and musical improvisation, creating a unique and unrepeatable work that will take shape before the audience’s eyes.
Sala del Minor Consiglio, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa – 7:00 PM
Tickets: €10, available at the box office
