Liri Blues Festival

It takes place every year in July in Isola del Liri, a small town twinned with the city of New Orleans since 1997.

Following its initial success in the first few years, the Liri Blues Festival was shared with neighbouring towns, in particular Ferentino and Veroli.

The festival was created thanks to Luciano Duro, who managed to bring big international bluesmen to a small town in central Italy.

In the first years, organized by the jazz club Big Mama, important bluesmen like Albert King, Pinetop Perkins and Buddy Guy performed at Liri Blues.

Musicians such as Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Elliott Murphy, and The Fleshtones played in Isola del Liri.

"The City of New Orleans is honored that you have chosen its rich heritage and culture as the centerpieces of your tenth annual Liri Blues Festival"[1] The celebrations of the twinning continued in Isola del Liri, where the clarinettist Alvin Batiste, who once taught Branford Marsalis, gave a concert involving musicians from Isola and New Orleans.

[3] As a token of their strong relationship over the years, Liri Blues was instrumental in helping the musicians of New Orleans following the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

Various artists who have performed at the festival, like Dr. John, Alvin Batiste, Rockin' Dopsie, C. J. Chenier and Zachary Richard[11] with his zydeco style, have been and still are ambassadors of the music of Louisiana throughout the world.

British Blues in general has been represented by the likes of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Mick Taylor and Eric Burdon[13] and The Animals.

Among Italians, apart from those already mentioned, noteworthy artists have been Rudy Rotta, Alex Britti, Tolo Marton, Robi Zonca, Guido Toffoletti.