Each festival has a certain appeal, charm and quality, for both the artistic part, the energy, stories and memories it creates and for things it ignites and makes grow from there. Santa Maria Island is a very unique place in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and it’s Santa Maria Blues festival is a very unique event, for many reasons. Here’s to mention a few from this year’s, which was the 16th edition, held on a gorgeous site on the island’s shore on July 18, 19, 20.

Santa Maria Blues was three nights of stellar skies and blues by some of the greatest artists of the day. The festival was kicked off on Thursday night by Delta Blues Riders, a Portugese band who also represented Portugal earlier this year at the European Blues Challenge, which was organized by the same SMB crew and held at Ponta Delgada, Açores. The second part of the night’s line-up belonged to Kyla Brox Quartet, this year’s winner of the European Blues Challenge and this lady with her band owned the stage and the crowd completely with their world class performance.

The second night started with a big bang by Shaggy dogs, a band from France who brought a much fun mix of blues and rock’n’roll. They shared the stage for the night with a legendary, four times Blues Music Award winner, Joe Louis Walker. Looking back at his more than half a century long music career he says “I’d like to be known for my life long conviction and faith in music and in blues. Sometimes I learned more from the failures than I did from success. That made me stronger and made me desire adventure. It helped me to find and develop my style.” His set was simply great and he left the stage to a huge applause.

The final night of Santa Maria Blues opened with a set from Gwyn Ashton, a british musician, who’s played in 32 countries around the world and who also opened for Joe Louis Walker’s concert in Prague, Czech Republic, last year. It is Gwyn, who says in one of his strongest songs “the road is my religion” and his set was a great, intimate one man show and had the audience’s full attention rightfully. The following was a Houston Texas native, Annika Chambers with her great band, including her Canadian fiancée Paul DesLauriers on guitar. She was just beaming and the Texas thing she brought was amazing, high energy, upbeat and sassy sound that got everybody up and dancing, she had a strong connection with the crowd and brought us all together just the way great music can. The last but not least was no one less than the true legend, the “blues boss”, Mr.Kenny Wayne with his boogie-woogie piano and his excellent band. That was all about love and passion for music, much fun and great energy brough about by this piano master and such a brilliant way to close the festival.

Apart from all the great live music, each night was complemented by excellent dj sets, to keep the crowd together and on our feet till the sunrise. During the day there is much to see and explore around the site of the festival, to swim in the ocean at one of the island’s beautiful sand beaches or in the seaside pools, to enjoy some great views and just soak up all the timeless beauty, calm and peacefulness of the island.

Much appreciation and respect to the organizers, to the whole Santa Maria Blues crew, who do an outstanding job, taking care of all the logistics and people who come to the festival. This year’s total of visitors in the three days was 6.388, which basically doubles the population of the island. Most of the crowd comes from the biggest island of Açores, Sao Miguel and the rest of the islands, from the Portugese mainland as well as other European countries and from the United States as well. The festival visitors are offered some delicious local food, traditional Santa Maria soups, meat or vegetable stews, traditional Portugese sandwiches bifanas, salads, home made deserts offered by the residents or the famous Santa Maria melons. There are numerous bars and drink stalls on and around the site. The accomodation on the island is limited, so early booking is adviced, there are comfortable hotels available, private cottages for rent or a nice camping site near the festival grounds. All together this makes for a great and truly unique experience, those who have been, return, and for those who have not been yet, Santa Maria Blues is something not to be missed in the future. Obrigada, Santa Maria Blues. Long live the blues!