By Tad Richards
Music is the heart and soul of the Caribbean, and it is the beating heart that has pumped its rhythms and melodies and song throughout the world: calypso, ska, rock steady, reggae, reggaeton, soca, zouk, merengue, salsa, dancehall, steel pan, bachata…and that’s just scratching the surface of this endless fountain of creativity that emanates from our region. And musicians from the Caribbean have put their own stamp on rock, jazz, blues, even electronic music.
And that fountain of creativity erupts all over the islands—you’re always within sailing distance of it. Here are some of the festivals that you can mark on your calendar for the next couple of months:
April 6-10: Afro-Cuban Dance Festival, Havana
Featuring concerts, demonstrations, classes and workshops on all styles of Afro-Cuban dance, at the Casa de Cultura de Centro Habana. Evening highlights include a rumba concert April 7, Malecón Flashmob April 7, and the festival’s climax — Fetecún Cubano, an authentic Cuban party in the heart of Havana, on April 10.
A complete schedule of events can be found at afrocubandancefestival.com.
April 7-8: International Blueseas Festival, Curaçao
The blues return to Curaçao’s historic Pietermaai district. Headliners include:
Billboard chart toppers, award winners, festival favorites Annika Chambers and Paul Deslauriers, have joined Texas and Canada in marriage and onstage as a compelling duet.
Diunna Greenleaf has performed at the Lugano Blues Festival and the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as the Cahors Blues Festival in France, and festivals throughout the US. She has opened for blues legends James Cotton, Keb Mo, Hubert Sumlin and others.
Harlem Lake, winners of the European Blues Challenge 2022, “love to blend raw 70s soul with contemporary blues rock and Americana.”
Living Blues magazine hailed John Németh’s debut album, “Magic Touch gives hope that the blues will survive.” He has toured and recorded with Elvin Bishop.
The blues flourished on the beaches of Hawaii, as Ron Artis’ talent impressed such visiting musicians as Mick Fleetwood and Booker T. Jones, who invited him to play with them.
SaRon Crenshaw has opened for blues legends Robert Cray and B.B. King, and plays a Gibson “Lucille” model guitar signed by B.B. King himself.
Sugaray Rayford has received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and won prizes at the Blues Music Awards.
Terrie Odabi has been described as “easily the most dynamic blues and soul woman to have emerged in the Bay Area since Etta James came out of San Francisco in the fifties.”
Grammy nominee Victor Wainwright’s musical styles “include virtually every corner of the blues.”
For more information check out curacaoblueseasfestival.com.
April 13-16 St. Barts Theater Festival
For something a little different, Théâtre de Saint-Barthélémy presents La Ligne Rose. In French.
For more information go to festivaldetheatredesaintbarthelemy.com.
April 14 – May 3: St. Maarten Carnival
Three full weeks of music, dancing, parades and general merrymaking mean something for everyone. From the festival’s organizers:
“The program kicks off with strictly local themes in the first week of the festival. The Cultural Night continues to grow and will be back, so is the Pan Explosion spectacle featuring St. Maarten’s best pan players. A King & Queen of the Band Competition is on the schedule which Radjouki is adamant to bring back into Carnival, having won this competition multiple times himself in the past. The schedule also includes a Junior Calypso Competition.
“Complementing the local events will be seven international shows led by Carnival’s flagship event ‘Night of the Hit Makers,’ which will celebrate its 10th Anniversary in 2023. Two new promoters will host an R&B night and a Zouk concert, and popular brand name shows will also be back: Caribbean Flag Fest, Bacchanal Sunday, Noche Latina, II Brothers Entertainment/One Love Reggae.”
You can find the full schedule at www.facebook.com/sxmcarnival/
April 20-24: Tobago Jazz Experience
Grammy Award winners from different generations have been announced to headline the Tobago Jazz Experience.
Boyz II Men released their first top five hit in 1991, and had their first Number One (and their first of four Grammys) the following year. They are on of only three acts to ever succeed themselves at Number One on the Billboard charts (you may have heard of the other two: Elvis Presley and the Beatles).
Singer-rapper-guitarist Koffee was born a decade after Boyz II Men released their first record, and she took home a Grammy for Best Reggae Album with her first release, Rapture.
.Also featured are Everton Blender, Richie Spice, Theron Shaw, Tony Paul, Vaughnette Bigford, with more performers to be announced.
For further updates check https://tobagofestivalscommission.com
April 26-30: Vallenato Festival, Valledupar, Colombia
The best composers and performers of vallenato music, which includes merengue, puya, paseo, and son, come together at the Vallenato Legend Festival, the greatest popular folk culture festival in Colombia. Musicians from countries like Cuba, Aruba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States participate in the festival, which began in 1968.
The festival begins with the Piloneras parade, honoring the traditional custom of women who sang verses during household chores related to corn consumption. Competitions of all sorts highlight the festival. There are contests between composers, repentistas — those who improvise songs and music in the form of poetry — and piloneras, or dancers of the traditional Pilón dance (large wooden bowls that were used to grind corn). The main event of the contest is a competition between male and female accordion players of all ages to be recognized as King and Queen.
Vallenato music has reached so much popularity, that in 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared it an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
April 30: Jazz’n’Creole event, Dominica
Performers to be announced.
Check https://dominicafestivals.com/jazz-home/ for updates.
May 5-14: St. Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival
Long regarded as the Caribbean’s premier music event, the St. Lucia festival returns after a three-year pandemic-induced hiatus, and it is back with a flourish, headlining a multi-platinum, multi-Grammy, multi-everything performer and his new partner, a homegrown son of the islands: Sting and Shaggy.
One hardly needs to say more than Sting’s name. Every move he makes, every breath he takes, multitudes have been watching him, and listening to him, and buying and downloading his music for over four decades, and he’s not slowing down. His partnership with Shaggy began, notoriously, when the Jamaican-born singer “wandered onstage” while Sting was performing his reggae-influenced hit, “Roxanne,” and the two discovered that they clicked musically, professionally and personally.
Beyond Sting and Shaggy, who perform Sunday, May 14, the Pigeon Island National Park stage will be packed with international stars. Here’s the announced schedule.
Friday, May 5 – Kick-Off: Caribbean genres with some of the biggest names from the region headlined by reggae superstar Shenseea, Jamaican-born Interscope recording artist whose work with Kanye West got her a Grammy nomination, and Kes the Band, Trinidadians known for their unique blend of soulful vocals, calypso inspired melodies, rock riffs and island beats, with hints of reggae.
May 6-9 – Entertainment & Community Jazz: Explore authentic Saint Lucian culture and people through an eclectic mix of local events.
Wednesday, May 10 – Kingdom Gospel Night: A riveting, inspiring showcase of praise and worship with some of the best names in Gospel, to be announced.
Thursday, May 11 – Pure Jazz: Grammy winner, pianist, and composer Gustavo Casenave and special tribute to Saint Lucia’s Luther François, the godfather of Saint Lucia jazz. Also featured, Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, whose jazz-soca guitar stylings, have won raves from jazz legend George Benson.
Friday, May 12 – Caribbean Fusion: Starring Buju Banton, whose album, Mr. Mention, is the best selling album in Jamaican history. Trinidadian soca stars Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons are also featured.
Saturday, May 13 – World Beats: Journey the globe with the best of AfroPop and hip-hop. Rema, the Nigerian rapper whose “Dumebi” was an international smash, caught the attention of Barack Obama, who added his “Iron Man” to his personal summer playlist, and young rapper Oxlade, another Nigerian, whose song “Away” caught the attention of Rolling Stone, making the magazine’s list of the best songs of 2020.
Nigerian Afro-pop is well represented by model-turned-singer Ayra Starr, performing with fellow Nigerian Ckay, the first African artist to hit 20 Million Spotify listeners, and JoeBoy, whose “Baby” garnered 31 million YouTube views.
And Sunday, of course: Sting and Shaggy.
The arts scene in Saint Lucia is also celebrated at the Festival. Beginning May 5, there will be community-based events across the island, emphasizing the jazz and arts scenes throughout key communities.
The Arts component of the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival will be held under the theme “Art and the City” from May 7-11. The Arts will include visual art, literary art, theater, fashion, an Icon Series, craft and souvenir markets, and a variety of events at the Derek Walcott Square, William Peter Boulevard, Constitution Park, Pointe Seraphine, and Serenity Park. From the visual arts to the theater, visitors will be immersed in the creativity and vibrancy of Saint Lucia.
Find out more about the St. Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival at www.stlucia.org/en/jazzoffers/
You can preview all these performers on YouTube as you make your sailing and festival plans.
