SAINT Lucia Jazz 2018 continued on its path to returning the festival to its core, by offering world class jazz acts to patrons.
This year, the main events took place at three hotel venues with the finale at the Pigeon Island National Park.
The festival saw a slight increase in visitors over last year, initial reports from organisers at the Events Company of Saint Lucia indicate.
“This year we had three different hotel venues and shows every night and that worked very well in terms of the Jazz programme, and we were quite happy with the feedback we got particularly from our local artistes who were part of the cast,” said Minister with responsibility for Culture, Sen. Hon. Fortuna Belrose.
The Sandals Grande, The Harbor Club and Royalton Hotel were graced with the presence of a number of renowned Jazz acts including Jazzmeia Horn, Lalah Hathaway, Luther Francois and Zara McFarlane. The festival also saw the return of fringe events, which Minister Belrose said is a key component.
“I think the fringe activities are very important and I think it adds a dimension because you want people to savour different parts of Saint Lucia and get a different feel of what we offer in Saint Lucia. There was West Coast Jazz, and Choiseul Jazz, and I think the general feel is that we should do even more local events in communities.”
Marketing and Sponsorship Officer at The Events Company of Saint Lucia, Leila Williams, said: “Saint Lucia Jazz is not just for selected events. You would have other communities who want to get involved, but they may not have the resources, materials, or technical support to stage an event.
“With our endorsement come so many different things depending on the needs of that particular private entity and we welcome that because it makes the festival more wholesome it makes the festival more accessible to many more communities because it’s not just a northern festival.”
The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival 2018 ran from May 7 – 13, culminating at the Pigeon Island National Park with a performance by Avery Sunshine.