Crowd pleaser, Pigeon Island

The vacation experience in St Lucia is surely magnificent. I bet you can’t imagine it getting better than having the beach at your doorstep, the sun tan you’ve always wanted and enough excitement to last you a lifetime. But believe it or not, it does get better! Especially when you’re in St Lucia during the month of May. That’s when, to borrow a line from Emeril, the island “kicks things up a notch, Bam!” with St Lucia Jazz!

Every year in May the St Lucia Tourist Board hosts St Lucia Jazz which features top international musicians and some of the best R&B crooners. Today St Lucia Jazz is one of the best in the world. It has been ranked 2nd in Caribbean festivals, eclipsed only by T&T's Carnival. Festival mogul George Wein has placed it among the top five festivals in the world and in the eyes of E! Entertainment, St Lucia Jazz is Number One!

The festival has been running for 14 years and encompasses multiple shows of acoustical/straight ahead jazz, new age jazz, fusion, rhythm and blues with acts emanating from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. The shows range from formal performances to intimate late night open-air venues and late nightclub venues to open air picnic style events which allow St Lucia Jazz to offer unparalleled variety and ambience.

What’s especially great about St Lucia Jazz is the location! The magnificent, picturesque Pigeon Island is the festival’s home. Pigeon Island, located in the north, is beautiful and has quite a history behind it. It was used by Admiral Rodney to spy on the French. The ruins of war are still present on the site. Pigeon Island is now used as a picnic area and St Lucia Jazz is like one giant picnic. Patrons spread their mats on the grass and just take in the smooth sounds.

St Lucia Jazz has also caused the start up of many fringe activities. They include: Jazz on the Square, Fond D’or Jazz, Tea Time Jazz, Jazz in the South and Bocage Jazz. Just grab your TT St Lucia map and follow the shows islandwide.

The fringe events are an essential part of the St Lucia Jazz experience. They are a combination of music, arts and craft displays, fashion shows, culinary events and street theater. The musical menu includes a variety of local and regional bands, plus a splattering of extra-regional musicians. Over the years the music of the fringe has evolved away from the mainstream and towards a musical style which is clearly Afro-Caribbean. The artistes for this year’s jazz are definitely up to par.

The mainstage acts include: Pharoah Sanders, Kevin Mahogany, Chante Moore & Kenny Lattimore, Monk Legacy Project, Ravi Coltrane, New Edition, Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley, Dave Koz, Rob ‘Zi’ Taylor, American idol’s Fantasia, Chris Botti, Earl Klugh, Tracy Hamlin.
St Lucia Jazz attracts thousands of visitors and has brought the island international recognition.
For more information on St Lucia Jazz visit the website: stluciajazz.org. And look out for more on the festival in the May issue of Tropical Traveller.

CANADA OFFICE
Tel: 416 362 4242 Fax: 416 362 7832
Email: sltbcanada@aol.com