Tobago
Grammy-award winning R&B group Boyz II Men during their performance at the Tobago Jazz Experience held at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on April 23 2023. – Photo by David Reid
The Tobago Festivals Commission has announced that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will not host the Tobago Jazz Experience in 2024.
In a release on March 8, the commission said any jazz-related activities that may be planned in April 2024 will be announced by the relevant promoters in due course.
It added a full event calendar for the year has already been released and can be viewed on the commission’s social media pages and website.
This included, it said, “events and activities hosted by various local promoters and organisers, where the relevant contact information has been given.”
The commission, in its release, said there are plans to shift the bulk of the management of the festival to private promoters.
It alluded to a statement by THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine in February 2023 that: “What this administration intends to do however if we are to keep the Jazz Festival is to transition so that private promoters are the ones running most of it.”
The commission said this was due, in part, to the “current model of the festival not being deemed as sustainable.”
It added the Jazz Experience has seen thousands of patrons flock to the island in April over the last two decades to experience live performances by local, regional and international acts including Grace Jones, Toni Braxton, Kool and the Gang, Lauryn Hill, Busy Signal, John Legend, Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Vaughnette Bigford, Shakira, Janelle Monae, Ne-Yo, Elton John, Sean Paul, Heather Headley and others.
The last edition of the Jazz Experience, from April 20-23, 2023, it reminded, was dubbed “The Return” and featured acts such as Boyz II Men, Koffee, Richie Spice, Everton Blender, Positive, Jonathan Nelson and Samuel Medas.
