Jamaica remains a primary draw for creatives and other persons from every corner of the globe, and jazz musicians from around the word have either visited Jamaica or made reference to the island
Small wonder then, that This year's International Ocho Rios jazz festival is, as it has always been, a global gathering of musical talent, of persons committed to the jazz idiom and to continuing its influence across the generations.
Festival co-ordinator and co-founder (with the late Sonny Bradshaw) Myrna Hague says the festival was envisioned "from the beginning, as an international celebration of jazz and of the best that Jamaica has to offer." Previous festivals have seen participation from Germany, the UK. Switzerland, Spain, Japan, the sider Caribbean and other nations.
This year, the organizers welcome Michael Winther and the Grand Beat from Denmark,as well as an all-female troupe La Birette, from Italy. The US will send noted fusion act, Project Grand Slam, whilst the festival will also be graced by the legendary South African chanteuse, Lorraine Klaasen, who in fact has performed in Jamaica previously, to rapturous reception.
Complimenting this international roster will be a diverse lineup of Jamaican talent, spanning the gamut of age and experience, including Harold Davis, June Lawson, Marjorie Kay,
the Riddim Bank band and the renowned Jamaica Big Band, with Myrna Hague.
The 27th annual International Ocho Rios Jazz festival, Jamaica's longest-running authentic jazz event, gets going May 27 at the FDR Resort in St Ann and culminates June 4 inside the bandshell at Kingston's Hope Gardens.
On, and in between those dates, music lovers can see and hear the world of contemporary and classic jazz.
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