/at 20.00/ AKAGA (BUL)
Akaga is one of the most popular Bulgarian bands, and the members are among the founders of contemporary Bulgarian sound.
The music of this band is a unique mix offusion-jazz, funk, folk, reggae, soul and even hip-hop music. Akaga was the first Bulgarian pop bands to feature a leading brass section as part of its sound.
The band was formed in 1992 by students at the National Musical Academy. Since then Akaga have released seven albums, the last one in the end of 2018. During its first years, the band had concerts mainly in Bulgaria. They released three albums (Broken Dreams, Why and When You See) as their popularity grew. Between 1994 and 1998 Akaga was the official band of the Bulgarian National Television.
Today the band is a respected headliner at numerous prestigious jazz festivals: Bansko Jazz Fest, Apolonia, Nishville, Klaipeda, Montreux etc.
- Krassimir Kourtev, bass, vocals
- Ivo Kazassov, trumpet, vocals
- Georgi Velev, trumpet, vocals
- Krassimir Kirilov (Jojo), trombone, vocals
- Petar Glavanov, guitars
- Kalin Petrov, keyboards
- Dimitar Mitev (Dundee), percussion
/at 21.30/ HAPPY OL' McWEASEL
Awesome feet-stomping, stage-burning, final festival day gig at Večer stage with the “Weasels”!
Happy Ol' McWeasel are a seven-man folk-punk-rock band formed in 2007, who have been setting both national and international stages on fire for more than 10 years with their mixture of punk-rock and folk music. Get-in-your-face vocals, a thumping rhythm section and the sophisticated, yet kinky interplay of the viola, banjo and accordion is surely a combination that will have even the most ardent sceptics stomping their feet.
The band are known for their unique and high-energy live gigs filled with stage dives and acrobatic manoeuvres, with venue-wide cheers and drinks thrown in for good measure. It is safe to say that the Weasels are one of the hottest Slovenian rock bands at the moment, as shown by their numerous concerts in Slovenia and beyond.
Happy Ol' McWeasel are big even in Japan, where they released two albums under the record and trade label The Tower Records and the record label Uncle Owen Records, respectively – the album No Offence saw the light of day in 2012, followed by Heard Ya Say! in 2015. According to the lads, a new record is already in the works.
Live gigs are not their only talent it seems. In 2014, the Hollywood studio Century Fox used their rendition of the Irish classic Danny Boy on the soundtrack for CBS’s TV series The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
- Gregor Jančič – Moony, vocals, acoustic guitar
- Primož Zajšek, accordion
- Martin Bezjak, viola
- Aleš Pišotek, guitar
- Matjaž Piavec, acoustic guitar, banjo
- Matej Kosmačin, bass
- Aleš Voglar, drums
