The Italian Cultural Institute of Pretoria announces that the Mediterranean trio ¡Gracia! will be performing at the Journey to Jazz Festival in Prince Albert from 1 to 3 May 2026.
A Contemporary Mediterranean Dialogue
¡Gracia! is a contemporary Mediterranean trio featuring Anaïs Drago (violin), Fausto Beccalossi (accordion), and Luca Falomi (guitar).
In ¡Gracia!, violin, guitar and accordion intertwine in a poetic and passionate dialogue. The trio’s repertoire includes original compositions and improvisations inspired by surreal and dreamlike themes, evoking sonic landscapes suspended between reality and imagination.
All three instruments — central to folk traditions throughout the Mediterranean — meet here in a distinctly contemporary dimension. The guitar, while naturally recalling the great Andalusian and Spanish school, opens itself to modern languages and blends with the timbral explorations of violin and accordion. The result is a free and vibrant exchange that crosses genres and latitudes, forming a personal musical language in which melody and improvisation merge in a balance of intensity and spontaneity.
Anaïs Drago
Born in Biella in 1993, Anaïs Drago is one of the most distinctive jazz artists of her generation. Winner of Top Jazz 2022 — the annual critics’ poll by Musica Jazz — in the “New Proposals” category, she moves fluidly between free improvisation, electroacoustic music, jazz and songwriting.
She was awarded First Prize at the Seifert Competition 2024, an international contest for string players in jazz, and received the SIAE Award in 2022. Since 2023, her name has appeared regularly in the annual critics’ poll of DownBeat (New York) in the “Rising Stars – Violin” category, confirming her growing international recognition.
More on ¡Gracia!
On a poetic level, ¡Gracia! is inspired by the spirit of Federico García Lorca and the early 20th-century avant-garde — a time when music, poetry and visual art existed in radical conversation. Rather than offering a literal tribute, the trio evokes this lineage through resonance and atmosphere, allowing history to inform a distinctly contemporary voice.
Formed in 2025, ¡Gracia! debuted in Genoa and has since appeared at leading European jazz festivals. The trio entered the studio in late 2025 to record their debut album, scheduled for release in spring 2026.
The Festival
The Journey to Jazz Festival is an international platform dedicated to artistic innovation and intercultural dialogue. Bringing together distinguished musicians from diverse backgrounds, the festival celebrates jazz as a living and evolving language rooted in collaboration and shared creativity.
The 2026 edition, taking place from 30 April to 3 May, continues this commitment by fostering encounters between European and African artists and strengthening cultural bridges through performance and exchange.