In all previous issues I’ve tried to provide readers with information relative to places to visit for quality live music enter-tainment. In this issue I’m going to depart from that to talk about the planning for an Inter-national calibre Jazz or Music Festival.

The congestion and flood of people visiting the area during the holiday was very much welcome after a long period of total calm and quiet. Hip, Hip Hooray! Summer is just around the corner and there’s definitely music in the air.

Since moving to the Mojácar area, I’ve been very passionate about bringing quality live music here. More recently via this article, you’ve probably read about an impending music festival. I, along with my wife Lynne have been prinicipally involved through our company Sax On The Beach Productions, in the planning of the festival for quite some time. Well, now I’m proud to say with certainty, pending finalization of sponsorship and other important details, the festival will happen.

Many of you will agree that Mojácar is a prominent up and coming tourist destination. The development of a Jazz or music festival is a tremendous undertaking that can be very rewarding to the economic growth of a community. For the Mojácar area, as a resort or tourist destination, the advantages of hosting a music festival can be significant. The festival will help boost the local tourism population and business economy and also help reduce the reliance upon traditional ways of promoting the area. I believe that the festival will be attended by people who live within a three hour drive from Mojácar as well as from throughout Spain and Europe, especially by those that live within a three hour flight time and/or have visited and annually plan their holidays in southern Spain.

In its’ inauguration or first year, we have planned a 3 consecutive day, 12 hour per day music festival format to be held simultaneously at up to 8 locations throughout the local Mojácar area. Potentially, the 3 day format may expand to 5 days or more in succeeding years. Having the festival’s music and other activities occur at multiple locations will cause visitors to venture throughout the immediate area. This will result in patrons spending money throughout the community, ultimately benefiting the business community as a whole.

Why an Outdoor/Indoor Music Festivaland
Why Mojácar?

The benefits of such an event can be numerous. Economically and politically, such an event can help bring prosperity to a community, increase community pride, promote the areas continued growth as a tourist destination and create positive national and international exposure.

The benefits also include giving back to the community such as providing music equipment and scholarship opportunities to local schools.Southern Spain currently does not host or promote such an outdoor/indoor event as we are planning and those residents and visitors who wish to participate in and enjoy such music must travel to Almeria city, Granada, Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid or other major cities. Mojácar, an attractive and popular tourist destination, is a beautiful and picturesque Mediterranean seaside city whose micro-climate makes it a perfect place to host such an event. Easily accessible by car via the Autovia de Mediterraneo motorway and a short 45 minute drive to or from the Almeria International airport, visitors will have few problems reaching Mojácar. There are ample hotel accommodations in the immediate vicinity. The issue of parking and a shuttle service is being resolved.

There is a tremendous amount of time and effort in the organization and actual implementation of a music festival. History has shown that the first year of an event may not always produce the attendance and income results projected but the second and successive years have proven the implementation of such an event a worthwhile endeavor.

We anticipate this to be true however, in this, the first year of the festival, one of our key goals is to organize and present the festival in a cost effective, professional, yet artistic manner thus insuring that the reputation it develops will make it one of the top music events of the summer with a positive economic impact on the community.

As such, the Mojácar International Jazz Festival 2006 will help cement Mojácar’s place as an important tourist and holiday destination, further insuring its’ success and appropriate growth in years to follow. For Mojácar, this truly is an idea whose time has come.

Expect a formal launch and announcement in next month’s issue. Tell me what you think! By email, write to me at saxjohnson2@gmail.com and if you’re interested in lending your expertise or volunteering, call the office at 950-473-194. More information about this exciting event will appear next month.