Marc Anthony to headline Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival
CASTRIES, SaintLucia, CMC– Organisers of the annual Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival have announced that Marc Anthony, the top-selling tropical salsa recording artist of all time, will headline the 10-day event.
The Grammy award winning Latin singer, with 25 Billboard chart hits, was inaugurated into the Billboard Hall of Fame in 2012.
He is scheduled to perform on May 8 as part of the festival’s main stage performances.
The Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) says the Latin influence in the 25th anniversary of the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival will be highlighted and celebrated as the tourist board begins working collaboratively with the Latin dance community – in particular Salsa St Lucia.
The three-year-old organisation seeks to promote fitness, health, social development and cultural diversity on Saint Lucia through Latin dance and music.
Tourist Board Director Louis Lewis says in observance of the milestone, the festival will pay homage to what has been an unforgettable journey that now distinguishes it as the Caribbean’s longest running international music and Arts festival.
The curtain raises on April 29, with a line-up that also blends island culture, famed musical talent and eclectic music genres.
Other performers scheduled to grace the stage this year include Shaggy, George Benson, Kool and the Gang, Air Supply, Omi, Kassav, Donald Harrison Jr., and Joey Alexander.
Local performers on main stage for the 25th anniversary include legendary jazz guitarist Ronald ‘Boo’ Hinkson, Irvin ‘Ace’ Loctar and Teddyson John.
The festival runs through May 8 and will feature a multitude of musical performances and art showcases across the island.
Locations span from Saint Lucia’s iconic Pigeon Island National Park, where main stage events will kick-off on May 6, to v other venues island wide.
With a continued emphasis on the arts component of the festival, a tribute to Sir Derek Walcott – one of Saint Lucia’s two Nobel Laureates – will be presented through the play Omeros produced by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London.
An Arts Village with a dedicated site in the north of the island will feature literary, visual and performing arts, while the acclaimed fashion show, ‘Hot Couture’, will return with a spotlight on Saint Lucia and the region’s cutting edge style.