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The Montreux Jazz Festival is considered to be the most renowned music festival in the world. Almost every popular artist with a great performance has played on one of the two festival stages and year after year for the past decades musicians from all over the world have been playing free concerts on an open-air stage along Lac Lemon.

The 42nd edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival started last Friday and it has attracted already thousands of visitors to the city. Performances of Sheryl Crow and Joe Jackson might not be considered as 'jazzy' as Thelonious Monk or Miles Davis but the festival gives a platform to all kinds of genres as long as the music is the main subject of the performance. Metal bands such as Soulfly and hip-hop acts like the Wu-Tang Clan have also been playing the Montreux stages in past years and attracted a different kind of audience.

The difference between Montreux and other festivals might lie in the cultural aspect. At Montreux music is the main message of every performance. It does not matter if it is a 15-piece American big band playing swing standards or a Senegalese drum combo singing in their native language, drumming African rhythms and dancing widly. As long as the group can perform live music and teach the audience something about music culture, that act is right for Montreux.

Last year Prince surprised--or rather shocked--his pears from the music industry not for his all-of-a-sudden gig at Montreux, but for his decision to give-away his brand new album for free outside the doors of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Obviously, the festival can serve as a great mean to make news as an artist. Performers can either try to get a paid gig if you are a recognized act, they can apply to play a free concert on the open-air stage, give some instrument workshops, or simply set up some backline along the lake and play in front of people who walk by. 

Montreux is a great place to meet and greet musicians and people interested in music. It is highly recommend visiting the festival even without tickets for an evening concert. Artists performing on open-air stages are able to inspire aspiring musicians as well as music lovers and people who just like to enjoy a good festival ambience.

The Montreux Jazz Festival 2008 will be held until 19 July. Visit www.montreuxjazz.com for more detailed information.