'I've made it to every festival since 1979': Des has performed at Cork Jazz for six decades

A POPULAR musician is set to perform for the 42nd time at this year’s jazz festival after cementing his status among some of the event’s oldest and longest-serving acts.

Des Hopkins who has been a drummer and bandleader for more than seven decades, will lead his band at the 2022 Cork Guinness Jazz Festival in The Clayton Cork City Hotel. The Kildare man played his very first festival in 1979 after becoming a well-known name on the showband circuit back in the sixties.

He later formed The Cluskey Hopkins Band before moving to the Clayton Hotel with a resident festival band under his own name. He has gone from strength to strength ever since and remains a headliner at The Clayton Hotel in Cork’s city centre.

Other loyal festival acts include Harry Connolly who performed his very first gig at the festival in 1979.

The Des Hopkins International Dixieland Band has become renowned for introducing some of Europe’s finest musicians to their ranks, with regular European festival visits, and jazz club appearances throughout the UK. Its members have come from all walks and hail from all over the world.

Des spoke of his pride at being involved with the festival for so many years. “There are some people who have great records,” he said.

“They had been playing for 30 years and would have loved to continue. However, some of them had to finish their run because of illness and others passed away. I realise how lucky I am to have been able to make every festival since 1979.”

The musician said he enjoys the Cork Jazz Festival for its warm and friendly atmosphere. “I have been to jazz festivals all over the world but the Cork one is definitely the friendliest.”

Des has rubbed shoulders with a number of stars through the festival. “It’s phenomenal that for such a small country we have had so many stars come to perform.”

He described how it all began. “When I first started we hadn’t been officially booked. It was the second year of the festival and people were spilling into pubs. They gathered some of the bands that weren’t booked. We were playing in the original Shelbourne bar in McCurtain Street and the proprietor said he’d pay us to play for the rest of the weekend. That was really the start of the jazz trail.”

The Kildare native feels lucky to have made a career out of music. “It’s pretty amazing. I just thank God I’m in good health. I’m still playing professionally and never earned a penny out of anything else.”

The 2022 Cork Guinness Jazz Festival runs from this Thursday until Sunday October 30.