M.M.Khanna,
INVC,
Jamaica’s ‘village of eight rivers’ sways to the sounds of cool jazz by top local stars and internationally renowned artists at the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival every year. It will be celebrating its 23rd Anniversary during the period 2013 June 8 – 16, with over 30 events around the island. This is reckoned to be Jamaica’s complete jazz vacation for visitors and locals alike, which each year attracts well over 5,000 people.
The annual Jamaica International Ocho Rios Jazz Festival has established itself as a recognized authority for promoting and showcasing distinguished International as well as Jamaican and Caribbean Jazz musicians/artists. Its format is one of a kind and is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of ‘‘Classical Black Music and America’s First Art Form.”
Previous performers have included such acts as the Houston Person Quartet, Joe Sizemore and the Jamaica Big Band. The programme includes jam sessions, community concerts and a school band competition during eight days of music and entertainment with family and community participation. This year’s line up will include the very best of Kiralina, Ginetta, Mynta, NFaly Kouyate, Jamaica Big Band, Karen Smith , Shane Drummers, Kathy Brown, Desi Jones, Marjorie Whylie, Mari Isaacs-Black, Jose Selgado, Fab 5 Inc.
International Jazz artists from Europe and North America are excited to participate in this year’s festival, making it difficult for the Jazz lovers to resist the infinitely appealing and pulsating music. The programme will feature free daily concerts in Ocho Rios, South Coast Jazz, Port Antonio Jazz, Jazz Summer School and nightly events in Kingston.
Jazz is all about music that includes qualities such as swinging, improvising, group interaction, developing an individual voice, and being open to different musical possibilities.
