A staple in the regional entertainment calendar since 1992, The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival has evolved to become the leading festival of its kind in the Caribbean. And it’s back this year, from April 30 to May 12, with a stellar lineup of mesmerising acts.
Christopher Gustave, Marketing Manager at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), told Barbados TODAY the organisers wanted to curate a lineup that appealed to everyone, whatever their musical preference.
He gave an enthusiastic rundown of the nightly events, starting with the opening night featuring Trinidadian Soca sensation Voice, who will be backed by his full band. Other performances on the night include Teejay and Romain Virgo. The Saint Lucian All-Stars, including Umpa and Black Boy, will also perform live on stage.
Other themed nights include Pure Jazz Elements of the Arts on May 7, Kingdom Night on May 8 and Pure Jazz Ladies in Concert on May 9. The festivities will amp up with Caribbean Fusion on May 10, headlined by King of Soca Machel Montano. Other performers on this night include Beres Hammond, Ezra D’Fun Machine, Meshach and Invasion Band.
For World Beats on May 11, patrons will take a musical journey with Afrobeats superstar Davido along with Joeboy, R&B singer Chloe Bailey, DYP, Arthur Allain and Kompa band Vayb. The curtains will come down on the festival on May 12, with a carefully curated lineup to excite the musical senses — Air Supply, Babyface, Michelle Henderson, Augustin Jab Duplessis and Carl Gustave for The Ultimate Celebration.
Tickets for Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts are available on www.saintluciajazzandartsfestival.com and Gustave is encouraging persons to secure them early, noting that there are limited VIP tickets, as they want to ensure the best experience possible. The VIP experience is food and drink inclusive and will feature amenities such as convenient parking, private shuttle services, express line entry, elevated lounges, festival keepsakes and more.
Of course, there’s no Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts without the arts, and art lovers will be treated to various showcases from May 1 to 9 at different venues in the city.
Art and the City is a vibrant cultural event. It will feature unique elements such as Art in the Square, theatre and dance performances, spoken word sessions and conversations.
“We are going to showcase our artist, Llewellyn Xavier; his art is internationally renowned, and we will be doing a special showcase for him,” Gustave shared.
The SLTA president issued an open call for Barbadians to visit Saint Lucia for the festival, noting that it’s easy to fly to the island, with numerous flights daily via airlines such as interCaribbean Airways. While noting that older generations of Barbadians are accustomed to travelling to Saint Lucia, he issued a special invitation for younger Barbadians to get to know the destination as there is lots to see and do outside of jazz.
“Book your flights, secure your hotels or whether you want to stay in a villa or apartment. Come and enjoy the music and enjoy the destination,” he encouraged.
Barbadians will soon get an exclusive opportunity to win tickets to Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts via a promotional campaign made possible by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. This campaign will be hosted on all Barbados TODAY social media platforms.
(CJ/PR)
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