Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has hailed what he described as the ‘epic return’ of jazz after welcoming thousands of patrons to the official opening of the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival.
He said he was overwhelmed by the response to the spectacular return of the May 5-14 event.
And Pierre praised Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire’s role in facilitating the festival.
The official launch ceremony occurred at Mindoo Phillip Park in Marchand on Friday, featuring Kes the Band, Shenseea, DYP & Friends.
Pierre thanked the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) and all the service providers who made the event a success.
“I had the honour to welcome patrons to the official opening of the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival in my constituency, Castries East. Congratulations to the Minister for Tourism and his staff for executing such an epic return,” the Saint Lucia Prime Minister posted on Facebook.
“Over the next week, let us continue to have incident-free events so that we all can bask in the glory of the rebuilding of our world-class event,” Pierre wrote.
The former Tourism Minister explained that the economic spin-offs during this time would redound to ordinary people.
” I look forward to celebrating our success,” Pierre said.
For his part, Dr. Ernest Hilaire said it was amazing to see the turnout at the jazz festival’s opening and the locals’ participation throughout the show.
“This year, the return of the festival promises to be nothing short of excellent,” Hilaire asserted.
The festival, which has resumed after after a three-year hiatus, culminates on Sunday, May 14, at the Pigeon Island National Landmark.
Dubbed ‘The Ultimate Celebration,’ the event will feature Sting & Shaggy, Ronald Boo Hinkson, Barbara Cadet, Teddyson John Project, and Irvin Ace Loctar.
UWP will be like “This success is because of Chas”.
@Crow you damn right…..after he was the one who mash it up with that Diana Ross Fiasco. I never went for the opening I will there Sunday for sure and pass thru the different venues during the week. It’s a harvest moon I have to prepare the Highest Grade I am a business man with a business plan it’s government alone making a ting off this. Ye$ patron$ come out in your thousand$ look out for the Highgrade Brand it’s the best you can’t go wrong.
@The Crow really??? Now let me guess “The Most honorable Lucian Highgrade” will soon leave a comment about the yellow Clowns you people never cease to amaze me lol
The crow you can admit a bit of Chas in truth but Hats off to Hilaure fir continuing
All those last year was purely Chas bur dud you admit it, smh
jazz had endless free tickets for lucians cause it did not sell. you barely see any foreigner in the crowd. so ever hear of match fixing? looks like this this is what we are witnessing. desperate optics from the SLP. look like they borrow a page from north korea dictatorship- lets prop up everybody to show things all nice and jazzy while we hide the truth of empty bellies and no work! propaganda props from dem fellas!
@dont be fooled you just might have a brilliant point here especially about not seeing any foreigners in the photo unless if there is some and they all look like us lol
FACT: Jazz was the equivalent of the circus while Rome was falling. Let the people go and witness a spectacle while inflation is killing them. Of course we know our people. Give us a free ticket to a lime at Jazz and we all going. Government spends EC$8,000,000 to bamboozle the voters who cannot meet expenses at the end of every month. How many foreigners did we see at Jazz. Maybe a few hundred. So $8 million spent for a return of a few hundred thousand dollars.
We have a serious breach of public affairs with the Bannanes land and an attempt to silence all opposition by any means necessary. Our democracy is under siege by the Labour Party who are breaking each and every rule and lying boldfaced. Borrowing is in the hundreds of millions every year AND we are also being taxed beyond belief.
So we have a few days of freeness but 360 days of the rest of the year have to pay more and more taxes and try to beat inflation and the high cost of food.
Elections have consequences and you all have another 3 years of this !
Funny how he was not as “overwhelmed” by the shooting murder of a 2 year old… and had 10 times more to say emotionally about jazz.
Yeah that’s exactly why we voted for you PJP. For big crowd at Opening of Jazz in Marchand. Don’t think this has ever happened before. You are such a great PM. Look at your great achievement. Am just like i too am overwhelmed and almost cried when i saw the pic of so many people at the opening of Jazz in Marchand.
There was not even 100 foreigners there. So barely any tourism dollars. We Luciana took the free ticket and jam up the place. Barely could afford to buy drinks and eats and some of us went home on empty belly.
SLT didn’t publish my comment cause they are afraid of the Pitbull. I know in Central we had more free tickets than votes in the last election in that constituency.