Jazz Mexicano En St. Lucia

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his coming week St. Lucia will be treated to Jazz with a Latin Flare made possible through a strategic collaboration between the Government of Saint Lucia and the Government of Mexico, through the Embassy of Mexico in Saint Lucia.

The Latin Jazz experience will feature primarily the Adrián Oropeza Trio, a group out of Mexico comprising pianist Daniel Hidalgo, Israel Cupich on double bass and Adrián Oropeza on drums. The group is noted for performing original contemporary Jazz tracks composed by Adrián Oropeza.

The events planned around the Mexican Jazz group will take on various forms during the season including a special outreach workshop hosted by the St. Lucia School of Music at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday May 10^th, 2018 from 10 am to noon. The Adrián Oropeza Trio is expected to conduct a music workshop with focus on Latin Jazz. This forum is open to music students and teachers from across the island.

Richard Payne Director of the St. Lucia School of Music notes, “ The St. Lucia School of Music is committed to providing to its students excellence in all fields of music endeavor.  In so doing we engage in opportunities for musical enrichment which will foster their appreciation for all styles of music. We are therefore thrilled to host this Latin Music Workshop and also to collaborate with the Embassy of Mexico in Saint Lucia for this undertaking. We are also very pleased to share this experience with music students and teachers from across the island and invite all schools to contact us to sign up for the program.” he concludes.

On the evening of Thursday May 10^th, 2018 at the National Cultural Centre from 7 pm, the Diplomatic Corps, Government Officials and other specially invited guest including music students from across the island will be hosted by the Embassy of Mexico and the Government of Saint Lucia for a special Solo Concert featuring the Adrián Oropeza Trio.

“For Mexico it is an honour and a privilege to participate in Saint Lucia Jazz 2018 and we want to thank the government of Saint Lucia for the invitation. To have a Mexican band here for the first time ever is a testament of the strength of our bilateral relationship, but is also an excellent occasion to present to the Saint Lucian public another sample of our cultural diversity. We firmly believe that one of the reasons for our presence here as a country and as an Embassy is to continuously open new ways of dialogue and exchange between our societies, in this case through the universal language which is the music.”  Comments Maite Narvaez Abad, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in St. Lucia

Yet a third tier to the Latin Jazz Saint Lucia Jazz experience is the appearance of the Adrián Oropeza Trio on the West Coast Jazz Stage brining a Latin Flare to this highly anticipated community jazz event.

“We are very excited to have the Adrián Oropeza Trios for West Coast Jazz. No doubt they will spice things up for our patrons,” states Patrish Lionel Public Relations Representative of the West Coast Jazz Committee. She adds, “ We believe in cultural exchange. This collaboration presents a great opportunity for our local musicians and our Mexican friends to share the stage and their cultures. We welcome Adrian Oropeza and his band to Anse La Raye”

West Coast Jazz is scheduled for May 12^th, 2018 at Quantum Gardens, Massacre Anse La Raye from 2 pm and will feature St. Lucian acts including, Charles Cadet Orchestra, Antonius Henry, Rob Zi Taylor and Phyness, Deboson out of Cuba and Evalucian.  Tickets to West Coast Jazz are $30 for Adults 13 and up. Children 12 and under are free.

Full details about Soleil – the Summer of Festivals can be found at www.stlucia.org/summerfestival. 

For more information about the island of Saint Lucia, call 1-800-456-3984, or 1-888 4STLUCIA or visit http://www.stlucia.org/.