The 7th Annual Pori Jazz Kids Festival 2011 kicked off the Pori International Jazz Festival in the picturesque Finnish west coast city of Pori on Saturday, 9th of July. The 5-day-long family event  offered dozens of musical workshops, concerts and performances on three different stages. Pori Jazz Kids Festival Producer also this year was jazz vocalist and composer Bianca Morales.

The Pori Jazz Kids Festival was a real succes story with its  25000 visitors last summer and over 2000 children performing under guidance of professional musicians and tutors. Access to all concerts and workshops was free. Pori Regional Tourist Agency Maisa and the Pori International Jazz Festival together with some partners are sponsoring the whole event. Svenska Kulturfonden supported the Swedish Day on Monday.

This year was a true workshop year. Children of all ages participated in singing workshops, building musical instruments from recycled materials and even juggling. Blues was the theme in Palmgren Conservatory´s  Musical Workshops. Internationally renown band Honey B. & T-Bones members Aija Puurtinen and Esa Kuloniemi hosted the workshops and the band itself was an excellent festival closing act on Wednesday. Also the children performed in concerts on the grand stage Lokki-lava on the closing day on Wednesday, 13th of July.

The traditional Swedish Day on Monday the 11th presented a fantastic Percussion & Theater Group Komodo from Sweden. Pori Jazz Kids Festival was also proud to present one of the leading big bands in Europe, UMO Jazz Orchestra for the first time on the Kids Festival Main Stage. Rytmyra with Emma Salokoski on Monday and Taikapeitto with Satu Sopanen on Tuesday were both great concert experiences.

In summer 2012 Kids Festival will be arranged for the 8th time: 14th to 18th July.