MARTINIQUE JAZZ FESTIVAL

Melodious musique de jazz will fill the air once more this fall as the Caribbean’s longest running jazz festival, the Martinique Jazz Festival, will be held November 26 to December 6. The festival, which dates back to 1983, has long provided a showcase for local and international artists to share their talents with a lively and appreciative crowd of music lovers from all corners of the globe. This year will be no exception, as a solid line-up of musicians are set to combine with interactive master classes, film screenings and exhibits to create the ultimate jazz experience under the warm Caribbean sun. Among the international artists scheduled to perform are Elizabeth Kontomanou (France), the Kenny Barron Trio (USA), and Lionel Loueke (Bénin/USA). A highlight of the event will no doubt be the performance of steel pan master, Andy Narell (USA), who will team with calypso legend, Relator (Trinidad) to perform innovative “PanJazz” selections from their new album, University of Calypso. Martinique Jazz Festival performances will be held primarily at L’Atrium, in the capital city, Fort-de-France, with additional concerts and events held in the towns of Sainte Anne, Sainte Marie, Lamentin, Riviere Salee, Sainte Luce and the La Pagerie Museum in Trois-Ilets, childhood home of Empress Josephine. Muriel Wiltord, director Americas for the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA, commented on the festival, stating: “Over the years, the Martinique Jazz Festival has attracted some of the biggest names in jazz and scores of their fans to our shores. We look forward to more of the same in 2009 and beyond.” Jazz luminaries who have performed at the Martinique Jazz Festival in years past include the Marsalis brothers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito d’Rivera, Chucho Valdes, and many more.