Philamonjaro

From 1 September, the walls of BUKOWSKI CRAFT BEER BAR in Russafa will become home to Black, White and Blues All Over, a powerful photography exhibition by acclaimed blues photographer Philamonjaro and curated by The Music Mole Magazine. And forget polite gallery photography. This is the blues — raw, human, battered around the edges and impossible to fake.

Philamonjaro’s connection with the music runs deep. His journey began as a teenager in Chicago when, aged just 14, he spent four dollars to see Muddy Waters perform at his high school, with Koko Taylor and Willie Dixon also on the bill. That first encounter opened the door to a lifelong obsession with the music, its history and the people who carried it forward.

Since then, his camera has taken him deep into the world of blues — from Chicago and the legendary Chess Records to Clarksdale, Mississippi, Buddy Guy’s club and countless stages, clubs and festivals. His photographs capture artists including Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, Billy Branch, Super Chikan, Blind Mississippi Morris, Tommy Castro, Nikki Hill, Robert Finley, Tab Benoit and many more.

But this exhibition isn't simply a collection of pictures of famous musicians. It is a photographic journey through the bloodline of the blues. Philamonjaro’s work explores the people, places and stories behind the music — the musicians, the keepers of oral histories, the clubs, the crossroads and the cultural connections that stretch from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago and, ultimately, across the Atlantic.

His own story has now come full circle. Having spent years documenting American blues culture, Philamonjaro is now living in Spain, where he has discovered another chapter in the long history of the guitar and its journey across cultures.

And there is no shortage of atmosphere at Bukowski. Located at Carrer dels Tomasos 17 in Russafa, the craft beer bar has already established itself as a natural home for Valencia’s alternative music and arts community, with its deliberately unpretentious, music-loving atmosphere and strong connection to local culture.

The exhibition will officially open on Tuesday, 1 September, with an opening party from 7pm. The evening will be a chance to meet Philamonjaro, talk photography and blues, and meet the people behind The Music Mole Magazine, who have curated the exhibition. Come for the photographs. Stay for the conversation. Grab a beer. Talk blues. Talk guitars. Talk photography. Talk music. Because this isn't an exhibition about the blues viewed from a safe distance. It's about getting close enough to hear it.