STEPHANE WREMBEL PRESENTS DJANGO A GOGO MUSIC FESTIVAL & GUITAR CAMP MARCH 1-6, 2022, WITH FRENCH GUITARISTS RAPHAEL FAYS, LAURENT HESTIN AND SEBASTIAN FELIX AND OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ—Guitarist/composer/teacher, STEPHANE WREMBEL, will present his annual DJANGO A GOGO MUSIC FESTIVAL & GUITAR CAMP from March 1 through March 6 celebrating the music of legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
The festival includes 4 different live concerts and an intensive “guitar camp.” The concerts will follow the Django canon and will veer into reinterpretation, improvisation and interplay between artists from various backgrounds, performed at the highest level of musicianship. Since 2003, Wrembel has produced the Django a Gogo Festival, bringing together some of the finest musicians in the world to celebrate the constant evolution of the Sinti guitar style, commonly referred to as “gypsy jazz.”
Stéphane Wrembel specializes in the style of Reinhardt, learning his craft among the Gypsies at campsites in the French countryside before graduating from Berklee College of Music. Wrembel has toured the world, while releasing 16 albums under his name and the nom de plume, The Django Experiment. He wrote music for 3 of Woody Allen’s movies including Vicki Cristina Barcelona (“Big Brother”), Midnight in Paris (“Bistro Fada”) and the original score for the recently released, Rifkin’s Festival.
Alongside Mr. Wrembel (guitar/musical director), performers for the various shows during Django A Gogo 2022 include: heralded French guitarists Raphaël Faÿs, Laurent Hestin, and Sebastien Felix; special guests from New Orleans, Russell Welch (guitar) and Aurora Nealand (saxophone/vocals); Daisy Castro (violin), Tommy Davy (guitar), Josh Kaye (guitar/Oud), David Langlois (washboard), Nick Driscoll (sax/clarinet), Joe Correia (tuba), Ari Folman-Cohen (bass guitar), Nick Anderson (drums) and Scott Kettner, drums.
The festival includes two concerts at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Rd, Maplewood, N.J. “The Django Experiment” will perform on Thursday, March 3 with Wrembel, Kaye, Folman-Cohen, Driscoll, Castro, and Davy with special guests, Faÿs, Hestin and Felix performing Wrembel’s original compositions as well as Reinhardt pieces. The theme for the show on Friday, March 4 is “Django New Orleans.” Performers include Wrembel, Nealand, Welch, Castro, Correia, Kettner, Langlois and surprise guests blending the traditional sounds of New Orleans with the voices of gypsy jazz guitars with the group performing traditional New Orleans songs with a Reinhardt touch, and traditional Gypsy songs with New Orleans sounds from swing to second lines. These events are open to patrons of all ages. The show time for both nights is 8:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 per show. For more information visit www.djangoagogo.com. Tickets for the shows at The Woodland can be purchased at https://www.mt.cm/django-2022
The “All Star” concert, the main event of Django A Gogo, will be held at The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., New York, NY, on Saturday, March 5 at 8:00 p.m. with close to a dozen performers on this legendary stage, including Wrembel, Faÿs, Félix, Hestin, Welch, Castro, Davy, Nealand, Langlois, Kaye, and Folman-Cohen and Langlois. Tickets range from $47-$77 and are available at www.TheTownHall.org or by visiting www.Ticketmaster.com.
This year’s festival includes an enhanced “Guitar Camp” from Tuesday, March 1 through Sunday, March 6 in Maplewood at local residences and venues. An intensive series of interactive workshops, class instruction and “jam sessions” with instructors Stephane Wrembel, Raphaël Faÿs, Sébastien Félix, Laurent Hestin, Russell Welch, and Josh Kaye focusing on rhythm and improvisation in the style of Reinhardt, the camp is open to guitarists at all skill levels. The cost is $999 and includes lunch, coffee, snacks, evening refreshments (wine, cheese, dinner) and VIP passes to the concerts at The Woodland and The Town Hall. Students are responsible for transportation and lodging. For more information visit www.djangoagogo.com.
Django a Gogo Music Festival & Guitar Camp concludes with a “jam session” at Barbés, 376 9th St., Brooklyn, NY, on Sunday, March 6 at 6: 00 p.m. with many of the performers from the various concerts. Tickets will be available at the door only. For more information visit www.barbesbrooklyn.com/
Django a Gogo has been made possible through Villa Albertine, in partnership with the French Embassy in the United States.
And with additional support from The Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture, organizing and facilitating performances and cultural activities throughout the Township of Maplewood, New Jersey. Working independently and in conjunction with local arts and civic groups, The Division of Arts & Culture, under The Department of Community Services, strives to establish Maplewood as a cultural outpost and arts destination.
Doors open 7:00PM | Show starts 8PM
Masks and either proof of vaccination or a negative test are required to enter any of Maplewood’s Community Buildings