Barbados Jazz Festival
Jazz escapes from the smoky underground clubs for this sun-soaked music jamboree
AND ALL THAT JAZZ
THERE ARE SO MANY reasons why you might choose to visit the Caribbean: to watch the azure water lapping up against creamy beaches while you lie on a deckchair with a glass of rum in your hand; to gaze over rippling emerald fields of sugar cane; to see green monkeys swinging through the trees. But one more reason could be to hear some of the best jazz to be found in the Caribbean, or indeed, on the planet.
“If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know, observed Louis Armstrong. Barbados this month is the place to find out, as from 12 to 18 January the island is hosting the 16th annual Barbados Jazz Festival, which attracts jazz fans from around the world. This year there are some mainstream household names, combined with traditional jazz practitioners and local up-andcoming musicians – all playing at a variety of venues in and around Bridgetown.
Big names such as Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick and Lionel Ritchie have appeared in the past, and this year will be no exception. The British singer James Blunt – not exactly the first name that springs to mind when you think of jazz greats but clearly one that pulls the punters – will be headlining, along with Chrisette Michele and Angie Stone. The last two aren’t jazz singers as such, so have been invited partly to refl ect mainstream musical tastes, as well as giving a nod to the younger audience. No wonder the festival is a major attraction for tourists from Europe and the Americas, to say nothing of crowds of locals.
More conservative jazz and Latin aficionados will be catered for by the likes of Hilario Duran, the Cuban pianist, 
composer, arranger and orchestra leader, and the New Jersey-born drummer and composer Harvey Mason, who has worked with artists as diverse as Barbra Streisand and James Brown. You can also hear the Grammy-winning US vocalist DeeDee Bridgewater, along with Joshua Redman and Glen Lewis.
The Barbados Jazz Festival is the brainchild of Gilbert Rowe, a former travel agent who helped to establish the St Lucia Jazz Festival before deciding to set up something similar in his native Barbados. He “lost his shirt”, he says, for the first couple of years, but persevered to build it up to become the island’s flagship event. In the course of this he has attracted corporate sponsors including the Barbados Tourism Authority and now generates B$5million (£1.7m) a year.
“I started this festival because I was looking for something to do and I had not a dime in my pocket,” he says. “But the outdoor concerts showcase the beauty and history of the country. I want the kids to listen to music that lifts their soul.”
Despite its big name acts, the festival is relatively small scale and intimate. Barbados is not a big island and the venues are all close together, so there is a feeling of warmth generated by the crowds wandering from one event to the next.
The opening night will take place, as always, at the Sunbury Plantation in St Philip. Harvey Mason and Diana Jarrett will be performing in the 300-yearold plantation house, decorated with mahogany antiques, old prints and even a collection of horse-drawn carriages. Outside, visitors can wander in spacious, wooded grounds full of lush tropicana.
Day two has become the islanders’ favourite and this year will see David Burnett at the Rum Factory & Heritage Park, St Philip. The audience, many of whom are locals, sit under the open night sky; a potent aroma of rum wafts through the air. The Foursquare Rum Refinery has become a centre for Barbadian skills: it has an art gallery, an amphitheatre and shops with locally made produce.
Day three sees the biggest name for this year, James Blunt, along with local act Kite, at the Garfield Sobers Complex, St Michael. It’s the biggest entertainment venue in the island and can seat 4,500 to 5,000.
The next night sees Errol Ince perform a dinner set at the sumptuous Crane Resort & Residences, St Philip – this is the most expensive and chi-chi night at the festival as visitors dine on fresh seafood served with a Caribbean twist.
Food and drink clearly play a great part in the proceedings. One of the best places to experience the sea food is Oistins fish market, in a village in the fishing hub on the south of the island, where you can have blue marlin and flying fish, served with plantain, vegetables and salad. Visitors should also try local specialities, such as a ‘Bajan Ham Cutter’ served in the island’s rum shops.
The festival ends with a two-day fete at Farley Hill National Park, which has a natural amphitheatre: the artists performing will be Angie Stone, Glenn Lewis, Nexcyx, Chrisette Michele, Hilario Duran and the BCC Jazz Project. This is the most family friendly day of the festival, and the performances do go on all day: groups with deck chairs and picnics gather under the huge mahogany and casuarina trees, set against the background of the ruins of the magnificent coral stone plantation Great House.
The energetic can walk up a steep hill in the grounds to overlook a hilly area of the island called Scotland; beyond it lies the Atlantic. It’s a carnival atmosphere: along with the music, there are countless stands selling homemade food – fried chicken, rice and peas – along with copious amounts of rum. Paradise – and with a melodic backdrop.
NIGHTLIFE IN BRIDGETOWN
Of course, the jazz festival is not the only reason to visit Barbados – the capital, Bridgetown, is host to an active nightlife in its own right. The city’s nightclubs, most of which are in St Lawrence Gap and Bay Street, are open most nights and feature the music most associated with the area: calypso and reggae.
For a more international sound, go to Club Xtreme, a vast space at 10,000 sq ft, with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, as well as DJs on tap. Down on the beach, Harbour Lights is open air, and plays local and international music. Shoes are not worn. Another beachfront venue is The Boathouse: open all day as a beach club, at night Sharkey’s Bar plays host to theme nights, including DJs and dancers on Sunset Wednesdays, and ‘wind down’ Friday Night Lime.
OTHER JAZZ FESTIVALS IN THE CARIBBEAN
Barbados is not alone in dishing up all that jazz: other festivals are held throughout the year the length and breadth of the Caribbean. The Havana International Jazz Festival in Cuba is still going strong in the wake of the Buena Vista Social Club. The Plymouth Jazz Festival, held in Tobago in April (dates this year have yet to be confirmed) is now in its fifth year. It has so far attracted some of the biggest names in the music world, including Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. And it’s not just the stars who emit sparks – it also features a fireworks display.
The St Lucia Jazz Festival (1-10 May) is probably the biggest and most famous in the region. This year’s round-up is yet to be released but previous performers have included Anita Baker, Dionne Warwick and Family Affair. Established in 1992, it has grown so much that these days it even has a ‘Fringe Activities’ section of the fair.
During 14-21 June, Jamaica will be holding its 19th annual Jamaica Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival. Its theme this year is ‘The Preservation and Promotion of Black Classical Music – Jazz’.
bmi flies direct to Barbados from Manchester. For more information and to book flights and hotels, visit flybmi.com
