Efes Pilsener Blues Festival to Bring Mississippi Delta Blues to Russia between November 5 and 11 - 21 October, 2002

The Efes Pilsener Blues Festival, the country's biggest blues event, will bring the atmosphere of the Mississippi Delta to Russia between November 5 and 11. This is the thirteenth time the festival is being held, although it is taking place in Russia for only the fourth time. The Efes Pilsener Blues Festival took place in Moscow for the first time in 1999, and came to St. Petersburg two years later.

This year the festival will be held in Moscow from November 5 to 7, before moving to Rostov-on-Don on November 9. It will finish up in St. Petersburg on November 11, where it will take place in the Yubileiny Sports Palace.

The Efes Pilsener Blues Festival traditionally includes a whole variety of different styles of blues, which originated from African culture in the American South. This year Russian music lovers will be entertained by Louisiana Red, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, and C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, a legendary group that has ruled the blues scene for over 50 years already.

In previous years the public has been introduced to performers of soul-blues, the Chicago and New York schools, and various other trends, as well as great musicians who simply play the blues in their own way. The festival has featured such international legends as Long John Hunter, the Holmes Brothers, and Otis Taylor.