What happens when jazz, improvisation and European values come together? You get EuroJam – an evening of music, interaction and collaborative creativity at Europe House in Podgorica. This participatory cultural event erased the boundaries between performers and the audience, transforming the Europe House space into a lively platform for dialogue, creativity and unity in diversity.
“The concept of EuroJam was developed through interaction and cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and Europe House. EuroJam links contemporary cultural practices with the values of the New European Bauhaus, cultural diplomacy and community engagement,” said Kazım Metehan Ayasbeyoğlu from KMK Arts.
“By bringing together artistic disciplines, music and gastronomy, and by fostering a live connection between artists and the audience, the event presented a gentle yet powerful image of Europe as a shared cultural space,” Ayasbeyoğlu added.
The musical programme began with the EuroJam house band performing three jazz standards. After this segment, the stage at Europe House was open to anyone who wished to play, sing, or join the band.
Among them was Georgij Perehod, who has been playing the cello for nine years. Georgij performed his own composition during the session.
“Organisation of this event is brilliant. I performed a composition I wrote called Fantasy No. 2 for Solo Cello,” Perehod said.
The programme also featured the presentation and serving of a special stew called “One Pot Europe”, created for the occasion by the culinary team at KMK Arts. This segment was part of a wider concept of gastromusicology – connecting music, gastronomy and cultural storytelling – which enriched the event with a multisensory experience.
“Our chef from Istanbul created a dish called One Pot Europe. This dish contains 27 ingredients, one from each EU Member State. We combined all these ingredients to create something new and delicious. We wanted people to experience the taste of the European Union,” Ayasbeyoğlu stated.
According to Azra Topal, a member of KMK Arts from Turkey, such events are an excellent opportunity for cultural exchange.
“Tonight in Montenegro, we are all playing together and enjoying gastromusicology through One Pot Europe. It is a great honour to be here, singing and performing with all these people and the artistic team from KMK,” she said.
EuroJam was organised at Europe House Podgorica through collaboration between Europe House and KMK Arts, which was responsible for the artistic and production aspects of the programme. The event was further enhanced by support from the Academy of Beer, which provided refreshments for guests, contributing to the relaxed atmosphere characteristic of a jam session.