For the first time in its history, the European Blues Union has given the Blues Behind the Scenes Awards (BBS) in Brussels 2015, by which this association recognizes the task of the eminent individuals who cooperate with the promotion, dissemination and blues dignity. One of these important people has been our colleague Joan Ventosa, who received the award on behalf of Bad Music, and received it as “media” for the promotion and divulgation of the blues through radio and television, booking concerts and making documentaries. Bad Music has consolidated by programming the Pocket Concerts, small concerts held in the Collblanc-la Torrassa Cultural Center. Joan also helped to start with the Blues Funds at Library Tecla Sala and also supports to organize festivals like Primavera in Black, in the framework of the Spring Festival of Hospitalet de Llobregat and the Cycle Blues & Boogie organized jointly with the Cultural Center Collblanc-Torrassa and Barcelona Blues Society. The other two awards went for Robert Mauriès, as “festival” for Cahors Blues Festival, which he chairs, and Alfie Falckenbach in the category of “label”, representing his label Blues Boulevard. There also was an honorific BBS to Jay Sieleman, former President of the Blues Foundation.
Photo: Yann Charles
