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Showing posts from September, 2015

Caribbean Sea Jazz - Women rule!

The 2nd day of the Caribbean Sea Jazz 2015 I really have to give to the women. They were simply outstanding. My absolute favorite and the biggest surprise was Jessy J. Ok, I'm biased...becuz the sax is my favorite instrument and I was personally serenaded, but still... They way she engages with the audience is charming. The other woman who got my heart was Maite Hontele. Earlier in the day, I saw her conducting a workshop with 6 and 7-year-old kids. She got them dancing and singing in the classroom. The kids had a lot of fun and afterward. But in the evening Maite had the notes, the moves, the charm and the public. It was very enjoyable. She again mentioned the influence of Oscar D'Leon in her career, thanks to Caribbean Sea Jazz 2012. This Dutch girl, living in Columbia is outspoken and knows what she wants..she will reach very high destinations. Then there was this local group of young musicians. A little bit stiff but that didn't stop them from entertaining their aud

Caribbean Sea Jazz 2015 - Experiencing a lot more than jazz

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When I first came across the lineup for Caribbean Sea Jazz 2015 only two names really struck me: Earth Wind & Fire and Roy Hargrove. The rest of the names I had to freshen up while some of them I had never heard of. And when it became clear that I was joining the festival I knew I was in for a treat when I started to listen to the music and read the bios. I couldn't wait to see some of them perform live. One thing I can say: it was worth the wait. Back at the hotel, I'm so boosted on this first night that I decided to write my experience down first before heading to bed. I arrived early. When we came in the first (local) group The Failures welcomed me in a special way with the song about "Rosita and Clementina". For me, nothing could go wrong anymore. I watched them for a while and started exploring the festival area. For me, it's new since the last time I was at CSJ it was in 2012, the last year at their previous location: Cas di Cultura. Love the new set