Jazz en Haiti: The Port-au-Prince Jazz fest is almost here

In an era where the main "jazz and Blues festival" here is content to boast of Mariah Carey as principal draw, its heartening to learn that Haiti has its own jazz fest, happening from jan 17-24, and that the line-up is in fact, quite credible and attractive from a jazz fan's standpoint:

Yellowjackets and local legends Boukman Ekspereyans are included this year, while previous outings have featured renowned players such as Mino Cinelu, Henry Texier, and American pianist Aaron Goldberg.

Names of no meaning to all but a handful of Jamaicans, but to those who know and love the form, a good recommendation to make the trip to Port au Prince (which, capital to capital, is actually closer to Kingston than Havana.)

For eight days, Port-au-Prince swings with jazz rhythms. The Festival participants pour into historic public spaces of the capital, such as the historic Sugar Cane Park with its gardens and vestiges from the colonial era, the gardens of the prestigious Karibe Hotel, and the FOKAL Cultural Center located in the heart of Port-au-Prince. For the after hours jam sessions, festival-goers fill the most attractive restaurants of Pétion-Ville, the nightlife neighborhood of the capital.


To achieve its mission to promote music and especially jazz around the country, the Fondation Haiti Jazz - the Festival's primary organizers - offers free music training workshops to young, local musicians in collaboration with the participating international music professionals.

Channeling 'Bra' : Remebering Wilton 'Bra' Gaynair @ the IOJ

We braved the rain, and power cuts to head down to the  Institute of Jamaica at the corner of East and Tower Streets, in the heart of Kingston South. We were richly rewarded, bit th by the band, comprising Tony Greene on tenor sax; Ozou'ne on piano; Shurwayne Thompson on bass guitar and Obed Davis on drums, as you will see in the pics, but also by Herbie Miller's multi-media discourse on the great saxophonist's life, work and outlook.

Jazzin Up Downtown

THE Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston will benefit from a fund-raising concert to be staged by The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) in collaboration with the Ward Theatre Foundation (WTF), as another in the Sunday Morning Concert Series on Sunday, March 6. The concert simply titled 'Jazz for the Ward' is scheduled for 11:00 am in the Institute's Lecture Hall, at the Tower Street entrance.

Jazz for the Ward will feature accomplished musicians Nicholas Laraque on flute; tenor and alto saxophones, Dr Carol Ball on piano, as well as multi-talented jazz vocalist, Myrna Hague. The concert will be presented under the patronage of Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico to Jamaica, in recognition of the strong cultural ties between both countries

The Ward Theatre has been "under construction" since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Dean in 2007. Work was completed on the roof, stage and some outer areas in 2010. However, the building is still not ready for commercial use and the Foundation is preparing to award a contract for a complete refurbishing/ reconstruction to facilitate re-opening of the Ward in 2012. Financing for this final phase of the project is expected to begin by mid-year and will be provided by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF)
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