The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Is Back – Will it be a hit or will it miss this time round?

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile I consider myself a staunch music lover (does a person exist who isn’t?), I cannot honestly say my love for the art form encompasses jazz. I mean, aside from learning Esparanza Spalding’s rendition of ‘Sunny Side of the Street’ for a cabaret workshop once (because the lower notes were less intimidating), I have to sift through my memory for anything else that is jazz. And even then, what comes is shamefully mainstream; nothing to impress the music connoisseur.

All this to say that although my love for jazz is half-assed, Saint Lucia’s Jazz Festival was one of few events I looked forward to. Unsurprisingly it had nothing to do with the actual music. My teenage self looked forward to the appearances of international acts such as John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Trey Songs, among others.

I remember, too, when the festival lost its thunder, and artists—who some would argue lacked “relevance”—would headline the festival. Then, in 2016, the government dropped the clanger: Saint Lucia Jazz Festival would be no more. Instead, the Soleil Saint Lucia Summer Music Festival was ushered in. I can’t say that I was not puzzled by the notion that having a six-month long   seemingly smaller version of the festival that was deemed not profitable was the better choice over just revamping the existing Jazz Festival in some way. But 2017 came nonetheless and brought with it the Saint Lucia Jazz, Roots & Soul, Carnival, Blues and Arts & Heritage Festivals.

Through the grapevine, I heard the turn-outs were unimpressive. But what else would anyone expect? They were new! I did make it to one event: Breakfast with Brandon, featuring musical protégé  Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer and, let me tell it, the boy can perform! It was pretty great. Sadly, however, I never made it to the Blues event that night at Sandals Halcyon where he was to do his full performance, despite that I had planned to. Suffice it to say, circumstances beyond my control detained me.

Now, this year’s Jazz Festival is upon us and it looks hefty. Artists like Barbara Cadet, Destra, Lalah Hathaway and a swathe of other local, regional and international talents are slated to perform. Save for the 200 Facebook users who “liked” the Soleil Festival Facebook post promoting the event, commenters did not seem particularly impressed, mainly with the show locations. They fumed that hotels were benefitting while the poor man was pushed out of jazz. They seemed to be mourning the demise of events like Jazz on the Square.

  Well, I am here to tell you, serious lovers of jazz, that you may want to save yourself some fretting. Culture Minister Fortuna Belrose explained at Monday’s pre-cabinet meeting that community events are still taking place. She listed Jazz in La Pointe, Choiseul, today, May 5, and in Anse la Raye. Not to mention The Events Company of Saint Lucia has invited everyone to “Go Bananas for Jazz’ this weekend, with a packed schedule of events, some free, taking place at Banana Countree on the Rodney Bay strip. And SLASPA’s Teatime Jazz is happening on Friday May 11, from 1 p.m. at La Place Carenage.

It appears, also, that organisers have found a middle ground between keeping things jazzy and catering for locals who just want a good time. Belrose says the pinnacle event—Jazz at Pigeon Island on Sunday, May 13—will be a day of pure jazz up until 7 p.m. when soca and calypso will take over. In the senator’s words: “Sunday is pure jazz up until 6:30-7 and then they will move into a prelude of the carnival. We’re trying to cater for both segments.” She also expressed hopes the public will this time around turn out in large numbers.