One month after a stellar line up of the 24th edition of Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival was announced here, two more names have been added to the star-studded cast. On Wednesday, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, organizers of the festival, announced the addition of American Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele and famed Caribbean soca singer and songwriter, Trinidadian Destra to the cast.
Chrisette Michele, who won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song “Be OK”, will perform on main stage on Sunday May 10. Michele made her debut with the album “I Am” in 2007 which spawned the hits “If I Have My Way”, “Best of Me” and “Be OK”.
Destra, who will perform with the Bakanal Band alongside Chronixx for the opening of the festival, is one of the biggest female names in the soca world. The popular entertainer had Carnival lovers in a frenzy during the 2015 Trini carnival with her popular “Lucy.”
She also boasts a string of hits that include fan favorites like “Bonnie & Clyde”, “Come Beta”, “Max It Up”, “I Dare You” and “Queen of Bacchanal” to name just a few.
“As we launch the festival in Trinidad, one of our key Caribbean markets, we are thrilled to further diversify an already impressive line-up with the likes of Chrisette Michele and Destra. Destra is a leading lady and a true Caribbean music ambassador who has established herself in a business typically dominated by males,” noted Tourism Director Louis Lewis.
Along with Chrisette Michele and Destra, other renowned performers taking center stage this year include singer/songwriter Robin Thicke, two-time Grammy winner Jon Secada, Jamaican reggae musician and actor Jimmy Cliff, Latin sensation Timbalive, American rapper Flo Rida, acclaimed Paris-based pianist Alain Jean Marie featuring Grant Stewart and two-time Grammy nominee Joey DeFranceso.
The 11-day festival kicks off on April 30 and runs through to May 10 .
Flo Rida like really .