SAILING the Danube draws tourists every year to Bratislava's annual Summer of Culture festival. They especially look forward to day cruises featuring onboard musical performances. Flamenco, klezmer, opera and country have all recently been heard floating up from the Martin boat as it plies its way to Devín and back. For a change of pace, the chansons of Andrea Zimányiová will be heard coming from the portholes, followed by the pounding beats of the Mango Molas.
Zimányiová, who starts a week of performances on August 29, is the front woman of a rock band, Margot, and soloist for the Andante orchestra. On board the Martin, she will show audiences a different face with her Jazz Chanson Soirée, where she will sing jazz songs accompanied by pianist Valér Miko. Festival's organizers say Zimányiová's performance will be a "fresh revelation to her fans" who know of her other work.
According to the singer herself, Jazz Chanson Soirée is unique for her and therefore challenging as well. "I can hide nothing behind the sound of the band or orchestra," the singer says.
The Mango Molas' Beach Party with its swift drumming rhythms will rock the ship on September 5. Originally founded by four percussionists inspired by the pulse of Western Africa, the project encompassed new musical genres. Today, the musicians define their production as "music coming from Afro-Cuban tradition enriched with Western African, Arabic and Slovak folk melodies". Bon voyage!
