Setting Tone For Jazz Milestone

IF the adage that good things get better with age is true, the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival’s silver edition should be worth all the confetti and fireworks when the last beat is struck and the last note sung on May 8.

If this year’s festival is supposed to be an unforgettable journey, just imagine what lies in store next year.

With this year’s festival punctuated by the likes of Kool & The Gang, Air Supply, George Benson, Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, Teddyson John, Shaggy, Omi, Rick Braun, Irvin “Ace” Loctar, Kassav, Joey Alexander and Marc Anthony, some would say that organizers are pushing it too far. Add the fact that organizers are still being fastidious about whom to pencil in for the festival opening and it becomes clear that perfection is the keyword.

Since the festival was launched here on January 12, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) has been assiduously making moves to maintain the momentum, reaping ripe rewards for it, too. Immediately after that launch, officials began targeting Saint Lucia’s key source market, the U.S., which accounts for about 44% of the island’s tourist arrivals. That process included meeting with travel and business officials and journalists, just some of the many people needed to push a festival that continues to push the envelope.

Right after that, local hotels started offering special deals for people wanting to visit Saint Lucia in May for some good island hospitality and great music. So much so that most of the hotel rooms have been booked solid for the festival period!

The Caribbean market, too, was targeted, with SLTB officials travelling to Trinidad recently to engage people involved in the media and entertainment scene there. It was also an opportunity to possibly select performers there for the big festival opening on April 29 for which the line-up will be announced in a few days’ time. With the Caribbean being Saint Lucia’s fourth (sometimes third) leading source market for tourist arrivals, nothing is left to chance.

SLTB’s Public Relations Manager, John Emmanuel, said that while the Tourist Board is working with organizers of fringe events, Fond d’Or Jazz will not be hosted this year due in part to dwindling numbers over the past few years. However, Emmanuel said efforts will be made to see a return of the festival on the east coast, with an option of collaborating even closer with organizers to resuscitate the vibe there.

Nevertheless, there are many other areas in which the SLTB is working to give a facelift to what is billed as the Caribbean’s premier music festival. Over the past few years since the revamping of the previous Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, there has been a progressive push to highlight the island’s its many homegrown talents in various art forms. Emmanuel said that moves speak to the confidence of its people in the festival.

“We’re broadening the scope of the festival,” Emmanuel told The VOICE Thursday. “The arts component is taking up more and more of the festival. This year, the Shakespeare Globe Theatre from the U.K. will feature internationally-acclaimed Saint Lucia actor, Joseph Marcell, in a theatric performance of Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Sir Derek Walcott’s poem, “Omeros”. These are just some of the new additions to the festival.”

Emmanuel said that broadening of the festival’s scope has meant trying to do more with a shoestring budget. While he noted that this year’s budget is similar to last year’s, making the 25th anniversary an unforgettable one creates a challenge, one the SLTB and organizers hope to overcome. However, he noted that close to 70% of the festival budget is injected directly into the local economy.

Jazz tickets are already on sale on island and online with patrons being offered a 15% discount as part of the early bird special. Emmanuel said the discount date was extended to give patrons an extra opportunity to book their place at this year’s festival.

As good as the music gets, though, this year’s festival does not come without criticisms. In fact, mere minutes after the festival line-up was launched on January 12, online bloggers voiced their dissatisfaction with what they said was a slim line-up that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 25 years.

However, the SLTB responded immediately, saying that with a shoestring budget come limited options. Despite being able to do less with more, they say they plan on making this year’s event an unforgettable journey. They also argued that relatively-known musicians have repeatedly left a great impression on festival goers through their beautiful music.

In its 24-year run, the music festival has also become one of the world’s best. Clocking over 310 hours of music, featuring 930 artistes who have played a total 10,888 songs and attracting nearly 100,000 people coming to Saint Lucia specifically for the annual festival, the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival seems poised to resonate with music lovers for many more years to come.