courtesy of: Aruba-Daily News
Tonight it is the fifth annual Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival. Held at Cas di Cultura Aruba, as is customary, the event has grown to full adulthood through the years. This means that world-class performers can be attracted to the event and thus the 2011 edition will be filled with the names of enormously talented artists. Travelers and music enthusiasts are invited to enjoy the sun, sand, and rhythms during this exciting weekend-long event.
This year’s Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival will feature the following artists:
Angie Stone - American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. Stone began her music career during the 1990s as part of the R&B trio Vertical Hold which released the popular single "Seems You're Much Too Busy" as well as two albums: A Matter of Time (1993) and Head First (1995). Stone recently finished a stand-up theatre play tour entitled Issues: We've Got Them All in which she had a leading role.
Eddie Palmieri - Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, Palmieri is best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms. He won two Grammys for the recordings of Palo Pa Rumba and Solito. Palmieri currently continues to be actively involved with music. He formed a new band, La Perfecta II, with whom he recorded the CD Ritmo Caliente (Hot Rhythm).
Candy Dulfer - Dutch smooth jazz alto saxophonist, Dulfer began playing at the age of six. She founded her band, Funky Stuff, when she was fourteen years old. Her debut album Saxuality (1990) received a Grammy Award nomination. Dulfer has released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. She has performed and recorded songs with other notable musicians, such as her father Hans Dulfer, Prince, Dave Stewart, René Froger, Van Morrison, and Maceo Parker.
Richard Bona – Prominent jazz bassist and musician, Bona’s first solo album, Scenes from My Life, was released in 1999. He has also been prominently featured in Jaco Pastorius Big Band albums, as well as many other albums by various top-tier jazz musicians. In 2005 Bona released his fourth album Tiki, which included collaboration with John Legend on one track, entitled "Please Don't Stop."
Raul Midon - Singer-songwriter and guitarist, Midon combines his distinct voice, strumming, beats, and vocal mouth trumpet sounds to create a one-man performance. His style shows influences of a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, R&B, and folk. In March 2009, Midon began working with Grammy Award winning producer, Larry Klein on his latest album "Synthesis" for the Universal Decca Label.
Cosy Cotton with singer Grana Louise is sure to attract a wide audience as well. Cosy Cotton is performing on Aruba for the fourth year now and, we can tell you, it makes the hearts of local and visiting blues fans beat faster!
But the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival would not be complete without the considerable talent of local bands, like the Muziekschool Band and many more. All will get a spot in the spotlight on one of the stages at the Plaza di Cultura and will surely impress. This October weekend will also include art of all kinds: paintings, installations, drawings, poetry, theater and mime. To make the festival complete, there will be a terrific food court.
Since 2007, Aruba’s Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival has featured international and local artists from a variety of musical genres including salsa, jazz, rock, and even hip hop. In addition to music, highlights of the festival include street theater, fine arts, and a food area with culinary specialties.
The concept of the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival appeared as a replica to the world-class North Sea Jazz Festival created by Paul Ackett, taking place in the Netherlands in the summer. The annual Aruba Jazz & Latin Music festival, which took place from 1986 until 2001, can be viewed as a predecessor of the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival.
Tickets cost US $35 for a daily pass. For more information of the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival, please visit: www.caribbeanseajazz.com.
