Baku International Jazz Festival

Baku, Azerbaijan's capital city, is well-known around the world for holding some incredible music events. These events attract tourists from all over the world, and one of the largest, the Jazz Festival, is a one-of-a-kind event for all jazz enthusiasts. With Denise Fontoura, Djabe, and Albert Hera performing, this one is a major deal. Baku International Jazz Festival is one of the most popular and biggest festivals in Azerbaijan.

Rain Sultanov, a saxophonist and Baku local, organizes the Baku International Jazz Festival each year. The event intends to highlight Azerbaijan's long-standing affinity to jazz, which began in the 1950s and 1960s when jazz was forbidden by Soviet authorities. Musicians from Georgia, Portugal, Italy, Israel, the United States, Germany, Canada, and Russia have performed at the event.

The Joe Zawinul Syndicate, Christoph Busse Trio from Germany, and Yakov Okun Quartet from Russia performed at the first event in April 2005. Azerbaijani jazz performers Rafig Babayev and his Gaya trio, as well as pianist Vagif Mustafa Zadeh, were honored at the fourteen-day festival. At the conclusion of the first festival, it was declared that the event will become an annual event.

Location: Baku, Azerbaijan