Celebrating 100 Years Of The Blues
2003 - "Year of the Blues"

In 1903 on a lonely train platform in Tutwiler, Miss., African-American composer William Christopher Handy (better known as W.C. Handy) met a man playing “the weirdest music I had ever heard.” The music was the blues, an African-American art form that has become the most influential form of American root music. So, W.C. Handy is regarded as “The father of the Blues.”
In recognition and celebration of that seminal encounter 100 years ago, the U.S. Senate, on Sept. 5, 2002, declared 2003 – YEAR OF THE BLUES (YOTB). Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ariz.), Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) and Fred Thompson (R-Tenn) led this congressional effort, which was initiated by Seattle-based Experience Music Project and the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, to bring long overdue recognition to one of America’s most important music forms. 2003 also marks the 100th anniversary of African-American composer W.C. Handy’s first encounter with blues music. By organizing numerous festivals and concerts whole musical world is celebrating 100th anniversary of blues music existence, one of the oldest music forms in general.
Initiating in the best possible moment the first international blues music festival in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mostar has joined, even on modest way, to this celebration. The intention of the music enthusiasts is that Mostar Blues Festival becomes traditional. Even though it is very hard to list all the obstacles we have met in realizing the festival, and all our mistakes and failures, yet we think that we have succeeded in bringing back this immortal musical form on our scene and in putting City of Mostar on the list of festival hosting cities.
In that respect we are very much grateful to those who were our support and help in any way to organize the Mostar Blues Festival.

Organisational team
of the Mostar Blues Festival