Pep Tur, Councilor for Culture and Heritage of the City of Ibiza, tells us about the new Jazz Point Ibiza Festival and about the state of health of culture on the island
Pep Tur, Councilor for Culture and Heritage of the City of Ibiza, tells us in this interview about the new Jazz Point Ibiza Festival, whose first edition will be held on March 6, 7 and 8, 2020.
We also talked about the situation of culture in Ibiza and reviewed the "powerful" cultural program for this year on the island.
Tur also tells us about his greatest achievements as a councilman, those who have been more special to him, and how his artistic and political facets fit together.
-What is the contribution of the City of Ibiza in this Jazz Point Festival?
We offer the classrooms of Can Ventosa to make the masterclass, material for the concert in Teatro Ibiza and, above all, the contribution of the Big Band Ciutat d'Eivissa of the Patronato de Música, a formation that has grown a lot in a very short time. It is made up of Muriel Grossmann herself and, on this occasion, we will be lucky enough to have two of the musicians who come to the Festival. It will be the only free concert at this Jazz Point. What the city council is trying to do is add.
-What differences or similarities exist between the new Jazz Point Ibiza Festival and the veteran Eivissa Jazz?
Eivissa Jazz is very focused on jazz that is done in Spain and Europe. Jazz Point Ibiza is a more international version that has many American musicians. They are two festivals that complement each other very well and that will give a very broad framework to the entire jazz scene.
-Can you give us some of the strengths of the cultural program of Ibiza for the coming months?
In March we have two magnificent plays: 'They are only women' by Maruxa Martos and 'Jauría', one of the most awarded plays in this country in recent times about the controversy of “the herd”. We have Sueños de Libertad, Bloop Festival between August and September or Eivissa Jazz at the end of September. Also the Intramurs urban art festival, in late May early June. We have very powerful programming.
-In your experience as a Councilor for Culture, what are you especially proud of?
It's complicated. Many times the smallest thing gives you brutal satisfaction and, at the same time, being able to set up great things like the Jazz Festival, which has been part of my life. I was in the first edition, in 87, I have been public, I have been a journalist and now I am responsible. What I feel most proud of is having brought a lot of culture to the street, which is one of the goals we set for ourselves.
-How about politics and art in everyday life?
They marry well. I come from the art world and I continue with my artistic and labor political world. Fortunately, I am in town hall carrying culture, which is my world, so it really is as if I had not left there.
-As an artist, how do you rate the closing of several galleries in Ibiza recently -PI Art, Luna Rouge, Art Projects-? Is Ibiza a difficult island for certain artistic projects to work?
It is a difficult island for galleries. Ibiza lived through a great gallery era in the 60s, 70s and 80s and little by little that market has been disappearing, but I would not know exactly what to attribute it to. Obviously the disappearance is always bad news. In the case of Luna Rouge and Ibiza Art Projects, which touch me more closely because they are from the municipality, it is a real pity that they leave it. They have opened a window for us to a series of artists to whom we did not have access, they have continuously collaborated with MACE, the City Council and with the public organizing plays, performances ... I want to thank them for the work they have done on the island , both Heather Harmon and Javier Aparicio.
-What are your favorite artists and musicians?
Phew! To put two of two very different worlds, in music I could talk about Max Richter, Nick Cave or Esbjörn Svensson. In art there are so many that it would cost me a lot to choose. I will tell you about what I learned here on the island: Paco Romero, Germán Lama, Vicent Marí, José Carlos Boned Vallribera or Adrián Cardona. I have learned from all of them and I admire them a lot.
