The St. Lucia Jazz Festival is held the first week of May. What started as a marketing event to boost tourism during a slow time period has developed into a major international musical event (kinda like the Water Music Festival on the Long Beach Peninsula!). We sat with people from London, England and from the Ivory Coast who had come to St. Lucia specifically for the festival. The concert on 5/5 featured great shows by the St. Lucia School of Music, 22 year old Irish phenom Laura Izibor, and jazz guitarist legend Earl Klugh. On 5/6 with Caribbean jazz nicely performed by the St. Lucian group, 3M, shown above. They were followed by the incomparable Jean Luc Ponty!
Could he do things with a violin! Great! Great! Great! The festival itself continued through the weekend. Rodney Bay Marina, where we stayed, was filled with French jazz aficionados who sailed from Martinique for the weekend concerts. Restaurants in the Marina had very good live music throughout the week, as well.
Friday, May 7th, we attended our first Caribbean Jump-Up - like a night-time street fair. The streets of Gros Islet, right up the road from Rodney Bay, were closed to traffic. Bars and street food vendors set up and music blaired. Eventually everyone dances in the streets and parties til the wee hours.
This bar gave its proceeds to a local youth group. My new favorite bartender made a heck of a rum punch with "extra strong rum" which is the double strength variety - 80% alcohol. I am not going to be buying a bottle of that! By the way, I am holding Ralph's beer, I was NOT drinking beer with my rum punch.
This woman grilled various meats on skewers and served them with a creole sauce. It was the best creole sauce I have ever had. I asked if she had a restaurant because I could have had some of her food everyday, but she said she did not, she just had her own recipe and only cooked at street events. She was very pleased that her food was so appreciated.
The St. Lucia Jazz Festival is held the first week of May. What started as a marketing event to boost tourism during a slow time period has developed into a major international musical event (kinda like the Water Music Festival on the Long Beach Peninsula!). We sat with people from London, England and from the Ivory Coast who had come to St. Lucia specifically for the festival. The concert on 5/5 featured great shows by the St. Lucia School of Music, 22 year old Irish phenom Laura Izibor, and jazz guitarist legend Earl Klugh. On 5/6 with Caribbean jazz nicely performed by the St. Lucian group, 3M, shown above. They were followed by the incomparable Jean Luc Ponty!
Could he do things with a violin! Great! Great! Great! The festival itself continued through the weekend. Rodney Bay Marina, where we stayed, was filled with French jazz aficionados who sailed from Martinique for the weekend concerts. Restaurants in the Marina had very good live music throughout the week, as well.
Friday, May 7th, we attended our first Caribbean Jump-Up - like a night-time street fair. The streets of Gros Islet, right up the road from Rodney Bay, were closed to traffic. Bars and street food vendors set up and music blaired. Eventually everyone dances in the streets and parties til the wee hours.
This bar gave its proceeds to a local youth group. My new favorite bartender made a heck of a rum punch with "extra strong rum" which is the double strength variety - 80% alcohol. I am not going to be buying a bottle of that! By the way, I am holding Ralph's beer, I was NOT drinking beer with my rum punch.
This woman grilled various meats on skewers and served them with a creole sauce. It was the best creole sauce I have ever had. I asked if she had a restaurant because I could have had some of her food everyday, but she said she did not, she just had her own recipe and only cooked at street events. She was very pleased that her food was so appreciated.
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