[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he 2018 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival kicked off Monday evening at the Sandals Grande Beach Resort. Labelled “A World of Jazz”, the opening night’s performers were Saint Lucian multi-instrumentalist Barbara Cadet and the UK saxophonist Denys Baptiste.
If I may be permitted a small confession: despite all the publicity that surrounded the local annual jazz festival, with all the dropping of star names, I was never tempted to attend, until now. And only in my capacity as a reporter.
Of course, I had no idea what to expect. The atmosphere was inviting and relaxing, thanks, in part, to the lighting, the stage placement and the seating arrangement. Most of the seats—a little over one hundred, at a guess—were occupied by an equal mix of locals and visitors, everyone impressively attired. After a short delay, Barbara Cadet took to the stage. She was enthusiastically received and did not disappoint, as she transitioned from instrument to instrument.
As earlier hinted, I’m no jazz aficionado. There was much singing-along and dancing. I was taken aback when a patron who appeared to be foreign joined in a kweyol number. Lip-syncing, perhaps?
A 30-minute intermission followed that seemed more like an hour. Refreshments were served— alcohol, of course. Next up were Denys Baptiste and his band. Like Barbara Cadet, they expertly delivered several numbers and were treated to a rousing audience reaction. The hungry crowd vociferously demanded, and was treated to, an encore at the end of Baptiste’s stint. I actually caught myself having a grand old time!
