The annual Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, now in its 24th year, raises the curtain on April 30 with a line-up of performers who blends island culture, famed musical talent and diverse music genres.
Internationally renowned performers taking center stage this year include singer/songwriter Robin Thicke, two-time Grammy winner Jon Secada, Jamaican reggae musician and actor Jimmy Cliff, Latin sensation Timbalive, American rapper Flo Rida, acclaimed Paris-based pianist Alain Jean Marie and two-time Grammy nominee Joey DeFranceso featuring Grant Stewart.
The 11-day festival kicks off on April 30 and runs through May 10 featuring hundreds of musical performances and art showcases throughout the island. Locations span from Saint Lucia’s iconic Pigeon Island National Park, where main stage events will kick-off on Friday, May 8, to various other venues island wide.
“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 also command world attention during the two-week celebration,” remarked Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries Minister Lorne Theophilus.
Presented by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, the festival continues to attract some of the most recognizable and sought after names in the music business and has become a magnet for visitors from the U.S., according to Theophilus. Completing the line-up is a string of other local entertainers, together with more than 100 local artisans, who will perform at jazz venues island wide throughout the festival.
With a renewed emphasis on the arts component of the festival, an Arts Village will be incorporated in a dedicated site in the north between two major shopping areas, while the acclaimed fashion show, “Hot Couture,” will return with a spotlight on Saint Lucia and the region’s cutting edge style.
