The International Blues Challenge represents the worldwide search for blues bands and solo/duo blues performers ready for the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. The world’s largest gathering of blues musicians takes place each year on Beale Street, with over 20 clubs hosting the challengers and fans.
In addition to featuring these final rounds of the prestigious blues music competition, the IBC event week offers seminars, showcases, master classes, film screenings, networking events, book signings, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.
Each year, the SCV BLues Society holds the Battle of the Bands to select which local blues band will be sent to Memphis to compete at the International Blues Challenge (IBC).
2024
Santa Clarita was proudly represented at the 2024 International Blues Challenge by the winners of the December 2023 Battle of the Bands, the Bootleggers.
Although we sponsored a great Blues band for the 2024 competition, they were elimiated in earlycompetition.
In this world wide competition for the BEST Blues band one can hold their heads up high just getting to Memphis.
The Bootleggers Band did us proud.
2023
For the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society the 2021 IBC competition is in the books. We had two super talened groups representing us in Memphis: The Sandy Haley Band, and the duo group Celso Salim and Darryl Carriere.
With all of the talent and skills possessed by these amazing artists we could not break the semi finals.
The competition in Memphis is incredible and getting to the semi finals puts you side by side with the world’s finest players. Please extend a very “welcome back home” to our Blues representatives.
2021
Five bands and two single/duo players put
their skills and talents to the test in our
local contest in order to win over the judges.
The winning band: Sandy Haley
The winning single/duo: Celso Salim and Darryl Carriere
2019
The Celso Salim Band took third place in the Band Category and
Darryl Carriere (Harmonica) won the Lee Oskar
Harmonica Player award.
2018
Our 2018 International Blues Challenge (#34) representatives: Artur Menezes, Gui Bodi, Bianca Richardson, Renny Goh and Matthew Mitchell
……The Artur Menezes Band.
They took: Third place in the band category. World wide competition………WOW
And Artur won the Albert King Award for Best Guitarist.
JT Butler also entered the 2018 Challenge in Memphis as our Solo/Duo winner!
2016/2017
Artur Menezes 2016 Winner of the “Battle Of The Blues Bands” and 2017 Representative at the IBC
Mr. So and So 2017 Solo/Duo Performers
2014/2015
014 / 2015 WINNERS OF THE SCVBS BEST BLUES BAND AWARD
CHUCK STRONG AND SRBQ
2015 and 2016 Memphis Competitors
2009/2010
WINNER OF THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE AWARD FOR THE WORLD’S BEST SELF PRODUCED CD, “FIRE IT UP”
THE LAURIE MORVAN BAND
