EUROPEAN BLUES EXPO 2nd Edition * NOTODDEN -NORWAY *

The 2nd European Blues Expo will have its grand opening at the prestigious Bok & Blueshuset library in Notodden (Norway) on 31 July, and the Expo will be on display thereafter through August 2014. The exhibition will showcase the various activities organized by the European Blues Union like the European Blues Challenge (EBC), the Blues Market, and other cultural events associated with today’s lively European Blues scene. There will be a photo exhibition by international photographers, Pertti Nurmi (Finland), Alain Hiot (France), Sylvie Bosc (France), Roser I. Valls (Spain), SKAttomaTTO (Italy), Charlie Hussey (Ireland), Aigars Lapsa (Latvia), Morten Gjerde (Norway), Carme Barrera (Spain), Fred Delforge (France) and Roald Jungård (Norway). The Expo will also cover loads of information hosted by members of the European Blues Union dealing with European Blues festivals, magazines, musicians, radio shows, record labels, etc. Film footage recorded during the four past editions of the European Blues Challenge (Berlin, Toulouse and Riga, 2011-14) will be provided by Bad Music Blues from Barcelona. Bok & Blueshuset and Europas Blues Senter in Notodden will provide the logistical support as the 2nd European Blues Expo will become part of the permanent Blues legacy to be housed at the Library. The event is also supported by the legendary Notodden Blues Festival.

It is expected that the European Blues Expo will be opened by the President of the European Blues Union, Mr. Tom Ruf, the Director of Europas Blues Senter, Mr. Espen Fjelle, the President of Notodden Blues Festival, Mr. Jostein Forsberg, and some European Bues Union Board members. The opening will be at 12:00 noon on Thursday, 31 July 2014.

The Blues Expo will take place on the first floor of the Library. All Expo visitors at Bok & Blueshuset can also enjoy another fantastic photo exhibition by Pertti Nurmi, Board member of the EBU. Pertti was the editor-in-chief of the legendary Finnish Blues News magazine for almost a decade in the 1980s. After 40+ years of blues photography, Pertti’s photo archives are unique even internationally. The photos were mostly taken at the major music festivals in Finland like the Pori Jazz festival, Lakeside Blues festival and Rauma Blues festival, etc. Hundreds of Pertti’s shots have been published in the Finnish Blues News and other magazines, and his photography artwork has been on display e.g. in New York City and in Hollywood. A sample of some 120 Blues shots will be on display at the entrance level of Bok & Blueshuset starting from 22 June and running during the European Blues Expo, until the end of August 2014.

The 1st and highly successful European Blues Expo was held at Tecla Sala Library in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona (Spain) during September-October 2013. Tecla Sala in the south of Europe is the official center of documentation of the activities of the European Blues Union, maintaining and highlighting a fruitful North-South cooperation with Bok & Blueshuset in Notodden up north.

2nd EUROPEAN BLUES EXPO

31 JULY – 31 AUGUST

BOK & BLUESHUSET

Storgata, 1

3674 Notodden

NORWAY

http://www.bokogblueshuset.no/

(FREE ENTRANCE)

OPENING ON 31 JULY, 2014 at 12:00 noon