American blues star Janiva Magness to perform in Romania at Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival 2026

Janiva Magness, the winner of seven Blues Music Awards following 26 nominations, and nominated for a Grammy for a career spanning 17 albums, is set to perform at the 14th edition of the Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place between August 14–16, 2026.

Magness is one of the most valuable and influential artists of contemporary blues. She will mark 35 years since her debut with a concert in Brașov. The anniversary is also celebrated with the release of a new live-recorded album.

“There are plenty of musicians who skillfully convey the sadness and unease encapsulated in the Blues, but Janiva Magness is among the very few who have literally lived through all these states and feelings, and this gives her an unmatched authenticity,” said Ioan Big, Artistic Director of Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival.

Born in 1957, Janiva Magness began her career as a backing vocalist in Minneapolis, and in the early ’80s she formed her own band in Phoenix, The Mojomatics. After moving to Los Angeles, she made her debut on cassette with More Than Live (1991), followed in the mid-’90s by her first CD, It Takes One to Know One, and three other independent releases.

Her role in the L.A. production of the musical It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues (1999), but especially her collaboration with NorthernBlues Music, where she released Bury Him at the Crossroads (2004) and Do I Move You? (2006), brought her to the attention of the blues community, both fans and critics alike.

In 2008, Janiva Magness signed with Alligator Records, for which she recorded What Love Will Do, followed by The Devil Is an Angel Too (2010) and Stronger for It (2012).

Magness is only the second woman in blues history, after Koko Taylor, to receive the prestigious title B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, and she accumulated dozens of nominations at the Blues Music Awards, as well as numerous appearances in the Top 10 of the Billboard Blues Chart.

(Photo source: press release)