Every year the beautiful island
in the Caribbean Sea, where people speak French Creole and have the Pitons as a backdrop, invites the world to join in for the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, one of the brightest and
most creative musical events around. The Festival is just one of many reasons to visit St Lucia, and this year we had a chance to experience the island’s grand event.

It was a sheer pleasure to attend the 21st
Annual Jazz Festival which is much more than just a musical
event. The Festival is a true national holiday for which locals wait the entire year. As members of the St. Lucia Tourism
Board – sponsors of the festival – told us, “We start preparing for next
year’s Festival on the second day after the previous one is over.”

Everyone
is whispering about jazz, jazz and one more time…jazz. This year the Saint Lucia stage was
full of local and international artists, as well as legendary
divas and musical geniuses.
Apart from “veterans,” a number of new artists participated for the first time.

The last three nights
of the Festival were truly memorable. The Gypsy Kings and their unique
rhythms immediately evoked passion. In spite of the fact
that they have been performing for several decades their music still feels
exotic and full of energy. Pigeon Island – site of the Festival – literally went wild during their
famous “Bamboleo,” which concluded their performance.

No
doubt, spectators knew they could get
a little bit crazy with the Gypsy Kings since the universal love and peace of Ziggy
Marley’s music was to follow. The five-time Grammy-winning musician
didn’t leave the stage until late into the night, while the show was supposed to end before midnight.  One doesn’t need any artificial stimuli when Marley is
performing; he is the medium for everyone to find their own nirvana.

On Saturday night we were all in the mood for
R&B and a gospel hip-hop injection from Keri Hilson and Kirk Franklin. No doubt
the pretty girl really rocked! The R&B princess delivered
a powerful, energetic and sexy performance, and exhibited a great sense of style – her while/blue maritime outfit nicely
complemented the St. Lucian vibe.

Following Hilson, Kirk Franklin
was warmly greeted and charmed the audience with
the sincerity of his songs. No wonder his well-known “Hallelujah” was
sung by the entire island – the most sentimental moment of the evening.

Sunday was the grand finale, a night full of joy and nostalgia. The energetic Toni Braxton, the
diva Diana Ross and jazz icon Hugh Masekela
shared the stage to close the Festival. The show
started earlier giving attendees a chance to listen to their favorite
music, while enjoying a beautiful day. Eating
and drinking on the grounds creates a
family-like atmosphere, one of the reasons why the St. Lucia Jazz
Festival is more than just music.

What is there to say about
the South African two-time Grammy winner Hugh Masekela, apart from
BRAVO? His larger-than-life persona, breathtaking voice and ability to interact with
the audience was hypnotizing. He was not just
performing – Masekela lives on stage; he needs no microphone, no hi-tech
devices; just his voice and his flugelhorn.
Everyone was pleased with such a great performance and those unfamiliar with the artist before fell in love with his music that night.

Introduced as the most dynamic voice in R&B, Toni Braxton – six-time
Grammy winner – was full of surprises. The set began with a performance accompanied by her sisters, who are currently starring in the WE’s reality series ‘Braxton’s Family Values.’ During the show Braxton invited many of her fans to join her on the stage and the lucky
ones were more than excited to sing and dance with their idol.

She was the only one who mingled
with the audience. In the end she sang “Unbreak my
heart” with the entire audience as her choir.

The diva given the honor to close
the festival didn’t need much of an introduction! She was the SHOW! As winner
of eight American Music Awards, a Golden Globe and an icon of
American popular culture, Diana Ross was at the top of her game –
grace, excellent style, and songs everyone
knows.

Her catalog of songs stole our
hearts much the same way as they must have decades ago. The ovation was explosive,  Diana Ross is more than a great singer and
actress she remains an idol for generations.

The Festival was a complete success. As Hugh Masekela said, “It’s time to start
sharing the world and having a good time.”

If you have never attended the St. Lucia Jazz Festival you
should try it next year. Before then you can experience the St. Lucia
Carnival coming up in July – an event full of exotic costumes and calypso music.

Truth be told, you don’t really need a reason. St. Lucia is waiting for you!
For more information visit
www.stluciajazz.org

www.luciancarnival.com

www.stlucia.org