ISTANBUL - The 13th International Istanbul Jazz Festival started in Esma Sultan Yalisi late on Monday.
The festival was organized by Istanbul Culture & Art Foundation (IKSV) and sponsored by Garanti Bank.
A cinevision was shown in memory of world famous music producer and 12 Grammy Award winner Arif Mardin who recently died.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Grammy Award winner U.S. jazz vocalist Steve Tyrell performed a concert.
More than 30 bands and 200 local and foreign musicians will take stage in this year`s festival.
This year, the Jazz Festival will especially be remembered with it`s exceptional jazz concerts: legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal who is 76 years old but still full of life, the famous French jazz group Orchestre National de Jazz who will play jazz versions of famous Led Zeppelin songs.
But these are not the only highlights of the Festival. One of the most important guests this year will be the world famous musician and Tropicalia star of Brazil, Gilberto Gil, who is also Brazil`s current minister of culture.
Other acts of the festival include Funk Off, Quartet Muartet, Trio Exklusiv, Los Locos del Barrio, Raul Midon, and Robert Glasper.
The 13th International Istanbul Jazz Festival will end on July 16th.