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Thousands Expected for Jazz Festival

Thousands of visitors to the island are expected to converge on the town of Falmouth in Trelawny to attend the Jamaica Jazz and Blues music festival, to be held at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium from January 24 to 26.

The three-day festival, known for show-casing several top international and local acts, has gained international recognition over the years as an event not to be missed.

Producer of the show, Walter Elmore, told JIS News that all the elements of the 2013 show are falling together nicely, and everything should be in place in time for the show this weekend.

“Everything has come along exactly the way we planned it,” he said.

He was very upbeat about the quality and standards that have been maintained in the production of the show over the last 17 years, noting that both performers and patrons have expressed their satisfaction about it.

“Seventeen years is a long time to be doing anything, and fortunately the festival has grown from strength to strength over the years,” Mr. Elmore said, adding that this year’s show will include a Reggae dance party.

International acts booked for this year’s show include Mary J Blige, Dionne Warwick, Michael Bolton and John Legend, while local performers will include Third World, Ken Boothe, Taurus Riley and Etana.

Mr. Elmore expressed appreciation for the level of corporate sponsorship that the show has received, despite the harsh economic conditions.

He pointed out that tickets are being sold online and the response has been very positive.

“I have seen tickets being bought from as far away as Belgium, the United Kingdom, and a lot in America and Canada,” he noted.

Mr. Elmore said that airlines have reported a surge in bookings and hotels in western Jamaica are having a hard time meeting the high demand for rooms.

He gave an assurance that the hitches that surfaced in the past in relation to entry, exit and parking have been sorted out.

“The police are going to be deeply involved in managing that,” he said, adding that his team has been meeting with the police for the past two weeks to make sure that proper arrangements are in place this time around.

JIS News

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