It all starts with a few guitar chords heard coming from a bar… they are answered by a bass guitar and the audience springs to life to the sounds of the Blues for a little over a week. This is what Laurent Macimba and his association Le Comptoir Magique have been organising for the past 27 years, since they first created the BAZ Festival – Le Blues Autour du Zinc.
This unique event was started in 1996, and has become one of Beauvais’ unmissable events. Over the years, some well-known names have performed here such as Ray Charles, an international legend in the world of Soul music, Chuck Berry, Otis Taylor, and Popa Chubby. As the years have passed, the festival has adapted, flourished and evolved. The past few years, it has embraced funk, pop music with artists such as Moriarty, Dionysos and Sinclair and even hard rock with French band Trust. There really is something for everyone…
The wide variety in the venues is also a major advantage of the Blues Autour du Zinc Festival. Purists will remember the Magic Mirror, a former circus tent where performances by female Blues artists were held, among others. Some well-known artists performed for the opening and closing shows at Elispace, a contemporary show venue or at the Maladrerie Saint-Lazare, a cultural venue steeped in history which adds a certain charm to the evening. But the BAZ wouldn’t be the BAZ without the multiple concerts in the bars that are completely free and open to all because as Laurent Macimba always says, music should be shared and is for everyone.
You’ve understood by now that the whole idea behind this festival is new discoveries, a fantastic atmosphere and some great names on the programme.