The 11th edition of the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival unfolded last night at the Renaissance Marketplace and it was all around spectacular.
Erick Jan Eman and his crew delivered excellent entertainment despite some weather hiccups last moment with hurricane Irma trashing flight schedules around the Caribbean. I don’t know what program adjustments they had to make, but they were flawless.
Ruben Blades was the crowd favorite, the musician/activist turned politician/movie star had many fans on the island last night, and the public danced and sang for two hours, as the salsa specialist performed his “Caminando, Adiós y Gracias,” program, one in a series of world stops, said to be his last concert tour.
You still have one night, tonight, to join. So do yourself a favor and come out, the night breeze is back, the heat subsided, and all your friends will be there, from as early as 6:30pm, when the music strikes.
The festival was meticulously organized with a diverse art exposition featuring top local artists. The sprawling food court, we got stuck at the French Fries and will continue exploring today, was stocked with fun eats.
The impressive set up, with the VIP and press sections raised above the arena and flanking it on both sides was genius. Was it exactly like that last year? I don’t remember but it was just perfect from every angle, from gorgeous stage, to rich sound, to clean toilets.
We also liked the Habana Vieja all stars, Buena Vista Social Club project, orchestrated by Eduardo Proveyer, Kriss Kross, and Oruba, two stellar ensembles of regional, local, Dutch talents, with many musicians double dipping and contributing to both performances.
Did not see any ministers of government officials in the VIP section, I wonder why.
