Remi Bankyln

London based blues vocalist and guitar player Remi Bankyln shares the love for the golden era of early fifties blues made popular by bluesman such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, Elmore James, B.B King among others. Music that would shape and sharpen what was to come and serve as the foundation of western music becoming a truly timeless genre.

Remi has had the pleasure to play and share stage with UK legend Big Joe Louis, one of the most  respected blues artists in the UK. Also opened for names such a Cedric Burnside (grandson of R.L Burnside) & Mud Morganfield (eldest son of Muddy Waters).

Marcos Coll

Marcos Coll was born Madrid (Spain) in 1976 but soon moved with his family to Santiago de Compostela, in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia. He started playing the harmonica at the age of 13, influenced by his musician uncle and by Spanish blues harp legend Ñaco Goñi. After playing with different amateur bands, such as the Red Bues Band, he formed his first professional band called Bluerags. In 1999 Coll moved back to Madrid to join the most famous Spanish blues band at that time, Tonky Blues Band. With this band, at the age of 21 he had the opportunity of touring and recording with rock and blues legends like Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones ) or Buddy Miles (Jimmy Hendrix Band of Gypsys) and even did a blues gig with Tom Jones(!).

After those years of great experiences, Coll was ready to form his own band, Los Reyes del KO, along with his soul brother, Adrian Costa.  Los Reyes del KO (literally, The Knockout Kings) soon became one of the top blues bands in Spain and Europe, earning awards and recognition, sharing bills around the world with such all-time greats as Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Chuck Berry, John Mayall, Solomon Burke, the Animals, Robert Cray and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and even appearing in high school music textbooks in Galicia

In 2004 Marcos Coll moved to Berlin, where through well-known German blues musicians like Chris Rannenberg and Micha Maass he soon became part of the blues scene in the German capital.

As a studio musician he has recorded with nationally famous Spanish bands such as Siniestro Total, and has recorded music for TV and silent movies.  While Coll is not prolific songwriter, some of his songs have been used in TV series and movies, such as Mexico’s blockbuster "Suave Patria,” or the song that is one of the anthems of the Spanish first division basketball team Obradoiro CAB, where the young Marcos Coll played on the junior team.  He has also worked as a harmonica teacher in music schools in Spain and today does workshops and gives master-classes all over the world in Spanish, English and German.

As an endorser of the world famous German musical instrument manufacturer Hohner, in 2009 and 2013 Coll performed, conducted a workshop, and was part of the jury at the most prestigious harmonica festival, the World Harmonica Festival, held every four years in Trossingen, Germany.

Nowadays, besides performing as Marcos Coll Blues Jarana, he also works often with the legendary bluesman Guitar Crusher, as well as with his Mexican Latino music band Los Mighty Calacas, which has toured all over the world and has released a CD featuring such top guest musicians as Charlie Musselwhite.

Photo by Manulo Blues

Cornio Fusion

Cornio Fusion comes to Berlin for the first time as a duo, for the Berlin Blues & Fusion Experience.

Alessandro Cornio is an Italian musician who travels across Europe with projects where dance and experimentation feed off each other. Under the name "Cornio" he follows a path all his own: indie, evocative songwriting, sonic experiments built around his voice and an ear always tuned to the movement of dancing bodies, in choreography or in freedom, as happened at the latest edition of Fusionizers in Bern. Alongside him, Alessandro Scacchi on bass, with whom he shares projects like Le Driadi and Viadeyra across Europe, between balfolk and fusion stages.

A concert for those who dance and those who listen, travelling with their minds. Dancing styles mix together, roles switch around and no one knows where each dance will end up. Are you ready to experiment with us?



Keith Dunn

Turned to the harmonica at young age listening to blues acts such as T-Bone Walker, Keith Dunn quickly formed his first band, “Blue Lightning”, performing songs by greats such as Muddy Waters and James Cotton, who he would later perform with. Big Walter Horton, Jimmy Rogers, Roy Eldridge, Big Mama Thornton – Keith Dunn performed with all of them.

Today, he works as record producer when not touring or giving harmonica master classes.

Keith Dunn and Lars Vegas photo by  Sven Sindt

Stef Rosen

Born and raised in a small village in the north Italian mountains, musically grown between Chicago and Berlin, Stef Rosen is considered one of the most innovative and genuine blues players that have emerged in Europe in the recent decades.

His music is soulful, inspired by the sounds and voices of the early 70s, from Bobby Blue Bland to Albert King.

Awarded artist and sound engineer (nominated for Album of the Year next to legends as John Mayall, Joe Bonamassa, and more), he spent the last 10 years touring and playing his music around the World, from New York to Beijing, Moscow to Seoul...his voice is a sweet treat for your soul.

For the Berlin Blues & Fusion Experience, Stef Rosen brings his Organ Trio — a live configuration that channels blues with a vintage late-’60s/early-’70s vibe, embracing classics from artists like Little Milton, Bobby Blue Bland, Otis Redding, and Albert King while showcasing his own soulful interpretations.

The trio’s lineup rotates with availability, but always features musicians steeped in groove and deep feel, making every performance a unique and vibrant celebration of blues tradition with a soulful twist.



Photo by Marko Jovanovic

Lars Vegas & The Juke Joint Dance Party

Lars Vegas leads one of the most electrifying roots-infused blues ensembles you’ll hear — The Juke Joint Dance Party. Anchored in classic juke joint blues tradition, this dynamic project brings together powerhouse performers including blues stalwarts Keith Dunn and Saudia Young, along with a rotating band of seasoned rhythm & blues artists.

More than just a band, The Juke Joint Dance Party is a celebration of deep grooves, expressive vocals, and that irresistible foot-stomping energy born in Mississippi Delta blues and carried through the heart of every historic dance hall. Audiences can expect gritty harmonica, soulful singing, and the kind of groove that gets bodies moving long after the set ends.

At the Berlin Blues & Fusion Experience, Lars and the Juke Joint ensemble will be playing multiple sets, bringing their signature mix of authentic blues, danceable rhythms, and raw musicality to the festival stage — promising unforgettable live moments that honor tradition while expanding the sound for contemporary audiences.

Saudia Young

Saudia Young is a New York-born actress & singer with caramel whiskey-drenched vocals, boundless stage presence, and a sassy storytelling style. Young is a genre-bending performer. She easily transitions from Rhythm & Blues to Django Swing to Jive.

Young's forte is a world-class stage presence, intoxicating voice, and a storytelling style that harkens back to Cab Calloway's antics and German Kabarett'‘s political commentary.

In 2017 Young released her 7" single ‘Noir Rockabilly Blues’ produced by Lars Vegas-DE featuring 'The Wobble' on the A and Iggy Pop & the Stooges's 'Lust for Life' on the B, followed up by her 12” debut ‘Unlovable’ in 2018. The LP was recorded live at Berlin's legendary Lightning Recorders, combining beloved covers with originals: 'Unlovable,' 'Violence,' 'Chicks Go Crazy,' 'Blind' and the jazz standard 'Let's Pretend, co-wriiten with Florian von Frieling.' Young’s vocal performance and storytelling style bring vintage sounds into modern times.

photo by Andreas Hubertus-Ilse

Brenda Jean Russell

Brenda Jean Russell grew up in a musically diverse home where Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, and Latin rhythms filled the air. For over 20 years she has traveled internationally teaching Blues, Balboa, Swing, Tango, and Fusion—always with a deep respect for the cultural roots of these dances.

Brenda’s teaching bridges past and present: she draws from the original social Blues dances found in bars, homes, and clubs, while also connecting dancers to live musicians and modern grooves. Known for her clarity, warmth, and movement expertise, she makes Blues dance accessible for all levels, helping students find their own voice in the music.

Brenda Jean Russell is a professional dancer, instructor, movement educator, and wellness coach with over two decades of international teaching experience. She grew up in a culturally diverse family where Blues, Jazz, R&B, Soul, Disco, Funk, and Latin rhythms were the soundtrack of daily life. These influences shaped her lifelong passion for music and dance.

Brenda has dedicated her career to preserving and sharing African American cultural dances—especially Blues—while making them accessible to modern audiences. Her strength lies in connecting the spirit of traditional Blues dances, once found in homes and juke joints, to today’s dance floors. She works closely with live musicians, teaching dancers how to feel the groove, and musicians how to play for dancers, helping re-unite the traditions of music and movement.

She has taught and performed across the USA, Canada, Europe, the UK, Asia, Australia, and South America, sharing Blues and partner dance with communities worldwide. Brenda also organizes festivals and retreats in Portland, California, Berlin, and Switzerland. Her teaching emphasizes musicality, body awareness, and personal expression, inviting every student to discover the dancer within themselves.

Brenda believes we are all born with dance in our bodies, and that Blues offers a joyful, soulful path to connection—anytime, anywhere, with anyone

Photo by Drew Tronvig

Charlley Ward

Charlley Ward is a Blues musician, dancer, teacher, and DJ from North Carolina whose relationship with the Blues spans nearly six decades.

A guitarist for 58 years, Charlley also sings and plays hand percussion, including cajón and djembe. His bands have won Blues Challenges across North Carolina, and he has twice advanced to the semifinals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

Charlley had the opportunity to study guitar with John Dee Holman, one of the last first-generation Durham Blues guitarists. While he doesn’t describe himself as a Piedmont Blues specialist, those lessons remain an important influence on his playing. His other major musical influences include 20th-century electric Blues guitarists Albert King, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Freddie King, and Robert Cray.

Based in North Carolina’s Triangle region, Charlley has performed regularly in local clubs, including the renowned Blue Note Grill, as well as at Blues dance events including Tobacco Road Blues Exchange, The Experiment, and Blues Muse.

Charlley is a lead teacher with RDU Blues Dance and has taught Blues dance in communities across the United States and Europe, including Portland, Cincinnati, Denver, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Ghent. He has also attended The Experiment Blues Workshop five times and DJed for Blues communities in the Triangle, Denver, Montréal, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Ghent.



At the Berlin Blues & Fusion Experience and Camp Blues, Charlley brings these parts of his experience together. He’ll be teaching dance, DJing, sharing stories and perspectives from his life in the Blues, and joining our musicians for the jam—giving participants opportunities to encounter Blues through movement, music, history, and lived experience.

Leon Phifer

Leon is a versatile dancer and instructor whose journey began with ballroom in 2017 before expanding into the vibrant world of social partner dance, including Bachata, Kizomba, UrbanKiz, Blues, and Fusion.

Since relocating to the Portland, Oregon area in 2022, Leon has become a recognizable and influential presence in the local dance community. As a member of DanceMode Productions, he has assisted and taught classes, contributed to creative projects, and performed at events such as the Waterfront Blues Festival—where his natural stage presence and musical connection consistently stand out.

A natural performer, Leon has an intuitive understanding of call and response, bringing a conversational, musical quality to both his social dancing and performances. His movement is grounded in Afro-diaspora groove-based dances, with a focus on feel, flow, and shared experience.

Known for his easygoing nature and adaptability, Leon brings a connection-first approach that makes dancing feel accessible, immediate, and enjoyable. Within the DanceMode team, he offers a powerful complement—balancing structure with spontaneity and inviting dancers to trust their instincts and deepen their musical connection.

In addition to his work with DanceMode, Leon is now one of the leading teachers and scene builders for Kizomba in the Portland area, teaching and growing the community alongside his partner, Colleen Carris. Now joining the European/British DanceMode team, Leon is excited to share his perspective and help cultivate the intimate, community-driven atmosphere of Berlin Blues & Fusion Experience.

Photo by Drew Tronvie

Gabriel Huot

Gabriel has been involved in the blues dance community since 2011. His experience spans social dancing across Europe, competing, DJing, organizing events, and teaching regular classes in France (Paris, Orléans) as well as at local and international events.

While he has explored many social dances, he is especially drawn to Blues for the richness of the music, the diversity of its rhythms and styles, and the depth of connection it fosters in partner dancing.

He believes that understanding body mechanics is key to finding greater freedom—both in dance and in daily life.

Driven by an endless curiosity for movement, Gabriel explores everything from bread making to martial arts and dance.

He is passionate about sharing this exploration and guiding others toward greater ease, awareness, and freedom in their movement.

Greg Dyke

Greg loves how dancing brings out the best in all of us. The common theme across his favorite dances (blues, bal folk, lindy hop, tango and balboa) is their emphasis on musical partnered expression and that these dances are deeply rooted in the cultures that created them. His teaching builds on moving comfortably in our own bodies to help people become the dancer they want to be - someone that everybody else loves dancing with.

Photo by Patrick Bafon

Dr. Deirdre Molloy

Dr. Deirdre Molloy is an audiovisual artist and dance researcher who enjoys Blues, Jazz, Dancehall and West African dances socially.

Under the name UnityAtlantic, she creates film, music and performance collaborations, including the short film Drum Calls | Body Recalls (19 mins).

A more analytical approach to dance is found in her Unity Atlantic Rhythm Map. These productions were supported by Unity dance partner Aurélie Capelle-Sigère, Code Your Future UK, Gerador Portugal and by research awards.

Dr. Molloy is a PhD candidate at University College Cork and the University of Toulouse.