by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:00 PM ET, Fri February 6, 2015
Photo: Saint Lucia will host the 24th Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival. (Photo by Brian Major).
Today's Caribbean jazz festivals go beyond great displays of America's classical music to encompass a stunning variety of musical styles.
This season's roundup of Caribbean festivals will highlight stars including reggae singers Beres Hammond and Jimmy Cliff, popular music stylists Jon Secada and Jenifer Hudson, plus Jill Scott and Kool & the Gang.
The annual Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, now in its 24th year, takes place this year from April 30 to May 10 and will feature Secada and Cliff plus Latin sensation Timbalive, American rapper Flo Rida, Paris-based pianist Alain Jean Marie, two-time Grammy nominee Joey DeFranceso with Grant Stewart and singer Robin Thicke.
The 11-day festival will feature hundreds of musical performances plus art showcases across the island. Main-stage events will launch on May 8 at Pigeon Island National Park and extend to several other island venues.
The festival is coordinated in conjunction with the Saint Lucia Tourist Board. "This year's festival continues to infuse artistic events with star-studded musical performances, providing a platform for local artisans, entertainers and cultural enthusiasts to command world attention," said Lorne Theophilus, St. Lucia's minister of tourism, heritage and creative Industries.
The Tobago Jazz Experience is also scheduled for spring, kicking off from April 18 to 26 at sites along Tobago's coast. The event will be headlined by R&B legends Kool & the Gang, hip hop/soul performer Scott, and singer/actress Hudson. All the events take place on Tobago's beaches.
In addition American singer and songwriter Miguel has been added to the event's lineup of stars. Miguel will perform on April 24, joining Hudson and other top performers. The event is presented in conjunction with Tobago's the Division of Tourism and Transportation.
"The Division of Tourism and Transportation continues to invest in this project because it has the effect of benefitting ordinary Tobagonians," said Tracy Davidson-Celestine, Tobago's secretary of tourism and transportation. "The hotels, guest houses and bed-and-breakfast properties are all full during this time. This means waiters, taxi drivers, street food vendors, bar owners are just a few who benefit from the Tobago Jazz Experience."
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