12. Rawa Blues Festival
September 19th 1992
Artists
Final concert
Elmo Paterson (USA), Wendy Sheridan (USA), Lamar Chase Band (USA/Holland), D`Boom Harper Band (Holland), Harry "Cuby" Muskee, Band (Holland)
Main stage
Dżem, Irek Dudek, Tadeusz Nalepa, Easy Rider, Jan "Kyks" Skrzek, Paweł Ostafil, Wielka Łódź, Zdrowa Woda
Night Come
Chronicles
The ambitious intention to organize Rawa Blues including the foreign stars line – up, whose lack was crucial in Poland, has been present in Irek Dudek's mind for years. There were no suitable conditions in 1992 for beating the formal procedures and having financial opportunities to invite such artists. Poland was still behind the wall...
Thus, in new reality some institutions – eager and able to prepare Rawa Blues – resigned. Then, Irek Dudek decided to run this business on his own. He registered the festival, its trademark and invested his own money. Since then, he became the owner, the producer and the organizer in one person.
Inviting the artists, who opened the line – up in the posters of Rawa Blues '92 wasn't a piece of cake. I lived in Holland then, where I met Harry „Cuby” Muskee. I also knew some American musicians, who played in the Dutch clubs. My wife was responsible for deals, I organized everything here in Poland. We sent the special coach, that brought in all these musicians from Holland to Katowice – reminds Irek Dudek.
Before the musiscians and fans met in „Spodek”, the warm – up in Radio Katowice concert hall was organized.
The main show attracted almost 10 thousand spectators! That was the proof, how strong was the necessity of contact with the blues artists from the world. Even though – no one, apart from Harry Muskee – wasn't known to Polish blues fans. This Dutch vocalist and harmonica player arrived in Warsaw in 1969 with the group The Blizzards.
Another foreign performers, who played in 1992 were: D`Boom Harper Band, Wendy Sheridan i Lamar Chase. The excellent gig was played by the Polish – American combo Elmo Peterson.
Let's also mention the performances of Polish artistst: the winner of the audience prize – Zdrowa Woda, Wielka Łódź – still stylish in Chicago blues, Tadeusz Nalepa and his band, Paweł Ostafil, Irek Dudek and his big band, Dżem – as the final show.
It wasn't the „big blues” yet, but that edition pointed a chance for a change in the repertoire offer. The gigs was recorded and broadcasted by the national TV.
Since that edition, Rawa Blues Festival had its own logo and the new, unchangeable in its layout – poster and the stage decoration.
The successful, both in commercial and artistic way XII Rawa Blues Festival, opened the new chapter in its history – summarized the observers.