Curaçao North Sea Jazz has proudly announced a wide range of artists for the sixth edition of the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival 2015, September 4th and 5th. After already revealing the free concert with Oscar D'Leon and Juanes on Thursday, September 3rd, they have now announced Enrique Iglesias, The Isley Brothers, Gregory Porter, Cassandra Wilson, Charles Bradley, Bettye LaVette, Randy Newman, Stanley Clarke Band, Wyclef Jean and The Pointer Sisters. This year will also see the return two of the greatest successes and audience favorites from the first edition, John Legend and Lionel Richie to the island. There will also a concert of The 5 Blind Boys of Alabama in Brakkeput Mei Mei on September 2nd.
Ohio-born John Legend is a critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, platinum-selling singer-songwriter. His work has garnered him nine Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, the BET Award for Best New Artist and the special Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, among others. Legend’s highly acclaimed fourth and most current studio album Love In the Future, features “All of Me,” Legend’s highest selling and charting song to date, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on both Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts. Most recently, Legend won his first Academy Award, first Golden Globe Award, and won the 2015 Critic’s Choice Award for his song “Glory,” that he wrote and performed with Common, for the film SELMA.
Singer and composer Lionel Richie needs little introduction: he has sold over 100 million albums all over the world and received prestigious awards such as Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. This year, he travels the world with his tour All The Hits All Night Long. We're very happy to welcome him back to the festival after his big success in 2010.
Worldwide superstar Enrique Iglesias got his breakthrough in the late 90s when he started singing in English as well as Spanish. In the following decade especially he scored hit after hit, for instance with Bailamos, Rhythm Divine, Could I Have This Kiss Forever (with Whitney Houston), Hero, Escape, I Like it and Can You Hear Me. To this day he has ten albums to his name. Last year saw the release of his latest, Sex And Love. Iglesias has sold over 137 million albums, making him one of the bestselling Latin artists in the world.
As one of only very few groups, The Isley Brothers have charted hit records in five different decades, starting in 1959 with their first smash hitsingleShout. A review of the Isley Brothers’ music is like a trip down memory lane including such hits as Twist & Shout, This Old Heart Of Mine, Love The One You’re With, Who’s That Lady and Harvest For The World. In 2014, the Grammy’s honored the Isley Brothers, along with the Beatles, with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.
In less than four years’ time, Gregory Porter has grown into one of the greatest jazz vocalists in the world. And anyone who has ever see this friendly giant perform will immediately understand why. Porter sings soul songs enhanced with jazz and blues; his disarming style of singing and his wonderful baritone voice command both respect and emotion. In Curacao, he previously performed at Brakkeput Mei Mei, in the week before the festival.
Between her mother’s love for Motown and her father’s dedication to jazz, vocalist Cassandra Wilson’s parents sparked her early interest in music. Although known as a jazz artist, the singer has expanded the playing field by incorporating blues, country, and folk music into her work. Her latest album, Coming Forth By Day, was released earlier this year. Wilson has won two Grammy Awards.
The story of singer Charles Bradley reads like a book: he was homeless for a while, worked as a chef for many years and started his career as a James Brown impersonator before he was finally discovered as an original artist and handed a recording contract by Daptone Records. He sings tender soul ballads as well as rough, up-tempo soul-funk and gives memorable performances with his band, The Extraordinaires. Although 66 years of age, retirement seems a long time away for this natural artist.
Although soul singer Bettye LaVette made her first record at age sixteen, she achieved only intermittent fame until her 2005 album I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise. LaVette has a voice drenched in gospel and blues that has retained the same power over the past fifty years, in which she has sung about her sorrows. Her latest album, Worthy, was released earlier this year.
Singer-songwriter, pianist, composer and arranger Randy Newman has made quite a name for himself. He wrote a vast number of hits for other people, climbing the charts himself as well with songs such as Short People (1977) and The Blues (with Paul Simon, 1983). Since the 1980s, Newman has mostly dedicated himself to writing film scores and creating soundtracks for movies. As a result, Newman was nominated for an Academy Award 22 times, winning two. He also received three Emmy Awards as well as six Grammies and was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame in 2002 and the Rock ’N Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.
He played with the biggest jazz names and is now being called a “living jazz legend” himself. Stanley Clarke has been one of the world’s best and most innovative bass players for many decades, and the first bassist in history who doubles on acoustic and electric bass with equal ferocity. He firted with such styles as pop, R&B and even classical music in his long career. Even so, jazz has always remained a first love for the four-time Grammy Award winner.
Wyclef Jean is a Haiti-born rapper and musician who grew up in the US. Having become famous as one-third of hip hop group Fugees and hits such as Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, and Ready Or Not, Jean began an enormously successful solo career afterwards. As an artist, he climbed the charts with hits including Gone Till November, 911 (with Mary J. Blige), and Hips Don’t Lie (with Shakira).
The career of R&B group The Pointer Sisters already spans over five decades. At the start, the group consisted of just sisters. They were hugely successful in the 70s and 80s especially, scoring no less than 13 Top 20-hits in the US between 1973 and 1985 as well as receiving three Grammy Awards. Songs such as Jump (For My Love), Fire, Slow Hand, and I’m So Excited were huge hits. Nowadays, the band consists of the sisters Anita and Ruth Pointer, and Sadako, the latter a granddaughter of Ruth’s.
