The St. Lucia Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary. The event is the leading and longest running jazz event in the Caribbean.
From April 30 to May 8, this year's festival lineup is comprised of an international roster of renowned musicians featuring the genres of jazz, R & B, pop, soul and world music from the United States, U.K., France, Africa and St. Lucia. The festival will feature multiple complementary daily shows of acoustic, new age, jazz, soul, reggae, and R & B sounds held in a variety of locations and venues around the island, including Jazz on the Square in Castries and Jazz in the South at locations in Vieux Fort and Laborie. Headliners will perform at the main stage performances which will be held at Pigeon Island National Park and Gaiety in Rodney Bay, the island's epicenter of musical entertainment, featuring local clubs, lounges and restaurants.
Featured performers include:
Trey Songz – The highly acclaimed R & B singer-songwriter Trey Songz debuted his first recording album in 2005 with I Gotta Make It followed by Trey Day (2007). His third album, Ready, was released in 2009 while his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, was released in September 2010, all garnering him multiple BET and Grammy award nominations, including winning the 2010 BET Award for Best Male R & B Artist.
Ledisi – Singer-songwriter Ledisi returns to the jazz festival stage sharing highlights from her Grammy nominated albums Lost & Found and Turn Me Loose.
Regina Carter – American jazz violinist, Regina Carter, lauded as one of the finest violinists of her generation, will share African folk tunes from her newest album, Reverse Thread.
Bad Ass Brass – Formed in 2008, the band takes its influence from the sounds of traditional New Orleans brass bands but adds its own unique twist. The group won the opportunity to play at this year's jazz festival through a Facebook contest in the U.K. hosted by the St. Lucia Tourist Board.
Maceo Parker – American funk and jazz saxophonist, who had a long term association with the late, great James Brown, will get the audience dancing with hits from his latest album Roots & Grooves, which won a Jammie for best Jazz Album in 2009.
Saint Lucian Collective – An ensemble of St. Lucian's jazz icons who will perform an array of Caribbean beats.
For a full concert schedule, festival tickets and updates, visit www.stluciajazz.org.
Several resorts on the island will be celebrating the jazz festival with special packages.
A five-night, six-day package at the Bay Gardens Hotel and Bay Gardens Inn includes lodging; Caribbean buffet breakfast daily; one three-course dinner at Trios Restaurant; one day sail to Soufriere with complementary drinks and snorkel at Anse Cochon; $10 per person casino play at Treasure Bay Casino; one-way transfers to the jazz festival and a jazz souvenir. Rates, including taxes, start at $990 on April 30-May 31 stays; www.baygardensresorts.com.
Cotton Bay Village offers a five-night "Jazz on the Beach" package which includes all meals; all beverages; one spa treatment and one jazz concert ticket at rates from $1,010 on April 30-May 8 stays; www.cottonbayvillage.com.
Juliette's Lodge Hotel offers double occupany room rates from $65 per night to two-bedroom apartments for $125 a night. Accommodations include continental breakfast. Valid on April 24-May 16 stays; www.julietteslodge.com.
The Downtown Hotel's "Fun in the Sun" rates range from $65 per night to $110 for a family suite. Valid on stays through May 8; www.thedowntownhotel.net.
Zamacà St. Lucia Bed & Breakfast offers nightly rates from $112, double, on stays from April 28-May 10. Stay five nights and get the sixth night complimentary; www.zamaca.com.
For more information about the island of St. Lucia and resort vacation packages, visit www.saintlucianow.com.
One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies' Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia (pronounced Saint LOO-sha) is nestled halfway down the eastern Caribbean archipelago. The "Helen of the West Indies," Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- a tropical rainforest and one of the world's few drive-in volcanoes. Culturally rich offerings include the bustling marketplace in the capital of Castries, quaint fishing villages along the coastline, and the annual Saint Lucia Jazz festival.
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