Rovigo’s Deltablues Festival, one of Italy’s longest-running events, is approaching its 37th edition. This year’s event will once again include internationally renowned musicians and the iconic Blues Cruises. The festival begins on Sunday, May 26th, at 8:00 PM with an opening event featuring an aperitif dinner and musical performances by Carlo De Bei and Alberto Boscolo Agostini at the Mulino Pizzon in Fratta Maggiore.

Up until June 13th, the Po Delta will be the focal point of a number of events that will brighten up the early summer days. Two of the most well-known cruises are scheduled for Saturday, June 1st, which features a concert by duo Michael Van Merwyk & Gerd Gorke (departing from Ca’ Tiepolo in Porto Tolle), and Friday, June 14th, which features the Baker’s Flavour Trio (departing from Interporto di Rovigo on the Canalbianco).

The June 1st Blues Cruise

The “Blues Cruise” with an onboard concert is scheduled to depart from Ca’ Tiepolo in Porto Tolle at 7:00 PM (boarding the Venere ship of Navigazione Cacciatori at 6:45 PM). The cruise will travel through the Po delta’s heartland, following the Po di Pila and the “Busa di Tramontana,” until it reaches the delta’s final sections, where the river flows into the sea.

Alongside harmonica musician Gerd Gorke, German singer and slide guitar specialist Michael Van Merwyk, who is in his forties, will take us back to the origins of blues music. Within their repertoire, Van Merwyk expertly portrays “Roots Blues,” a genre distinctive of the Mississippi Delta, using his deep baritone voice and “Dobro” guitar.

Van Merwyk’s professional career got its start in 2013, when he placed second at the 29th International Blues Challenge. He has worked with well-known worldwide blues performers, including Big Daddy Wilson and Larry Garner, producing thirteen albums.

As a singer and harmonica player on the German blues scene for more than 20 years, Gerd Gorke has collaborated with American blues artists such as Angela Brown, Louisiana Red, Dave Myers, Sam Myers, and Jeanne Carroll, in addition to Van Merwyk, for more than ten years.

The June 14th Blues Cruise

The second cruise departs from Rovigo Interporto at 3:00 PM and features a variety of activities, in addition to the music performance. Participants will embark on a nautical, naturalistic, and cultural tour that will include a stop in Adria to see the National Archaeological Museum before returning to Loreo.

You can have lunch at the Castello trattoria, which serves a special cuisine incorporating local goods, and witness the last concert by the R’n’R group “Geno & His Rockin’ Dudes” (free admission), a Lombard band famed for their rock and roll and R&B, particularly Chuck Berry’s music. The return trip to Rovigo is arranged by bus.

For further information and bookings for the music and aperitif dinner on Sunday, May 26th, and the trip on June 14th, please contact rovigo@arci.it. For the June 1st cruise, email info@deltablues.it.