Courtesy of: Amigoe
Soul Beach Music Festival started on Wednesday night with a Openings Party in 7 West featuring DJ "General Lee". The eleventh edition of Soul Beach Music Festival will be held up to Sunday, and according to the Minister of Tourism, Labor and Transport Otmar Oduber (AVP), Aruba ‘is ready’.
Oduber and his colleague minister Mike de Meza visited the Joe Laveist Sport Park in San Nicolas Wednesday afternoon where they held a site inspection. Oduber indicated that the park was ready for the huge music and comedy spectacle and thanked everyone for lending a hand. Whether it was already known if Joe Laveist would be the location for the festival next year as well, the Minister stated that the organizers would be meeting next week to evaluate this year’s event. In any case, the decision has not been made yet, according to Oduber. “We are proud of the artists who are to perform during the festival this year,” says Oduber. “It attracts promotional attention for our island in a fantastic way and of course, also many visitors.” The Minister also referred to other large events this year on Aruba. For example, for the first time Aruba In Style fashion event (November 3rd – 6th), for the second time Aruba International Film Festival (June 10th – 16th) and for the 25th time, the Hi Winds windsurf competition (June 19th - 26th & June 29th - July 4th).
Comedy Jam
Time for laughing fits Friday evening, but then in the Aruba Entertainment Center, Oranjestad. From seven to eleven PM, Shaquille O’Neal All Star Comedy Jam will be on stage with Cory Holcomb and David Arnold. Besides being a stand-up comedian, the American Holcomb is also radio presenter and actor. The subjects he ‘dishes’ the audience are often about relationships and especially what could go wrong in relationships. Arnold performed amongst others on HBO and Comedy Central. DVD’s were published on his comic skills. He also worked together with writer Anthony Hill (Eve, Brothers, The Parenthood, Meet the Browns).
Bobby Brown
The first of the two concert evenings will be held in the Joe Laveist stadium on Saturday. Both concert evenings are scheduled officially from seven to eleven PM. Heads of States, Chrisette Michele and Basic 1 will perform the first evening. Head of States consists of Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant and Johhny Gill and the trio has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Well-known numbers from the trio are ‘Candy Girl’, ‘Cool It Now’, ‘My Prerogative’ and ‘My, My, My’. Their music is a mix of R&B and pop. The music from Basic 1 is characterized by a combination of reggae, dance, hip-hop, R&B and Caribbean influences. Their songs are sung in the English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu language. Janiro Eisden and Dino Dirks founded the group in 1991. Kurt Labadie replaced Dirks in 1994. In 1995, the group scored a huge hit with ‘Suave’ and popular on Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.
Jennifer Hudson
The second and last concert evening will be held on Sunday when Jennifer Hudson, Muhsinah and Tsunami are on stage. Hudson acquired a worldwide musical reputation thanks to her participation and being one of the finalists with American Idol. She had already acted in the film ‘Dreamgirls’, which won her an Oscar. Her debut album immediately won her a Grammy (in 2008). She says her album is ‘a new introduction of her, I’m getting to know myself again’. Muhsinah won the Soul Beach – BlackPlanet.com competition. The first prize was to be the opening act during Soul Beach Music Festival. It offers her the fantastic opportunity to show the Aruban public her passion and talents on stage.
