Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival: A Soulful Escape

JAZZ IS… CULTURE

The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival is more than just a series of concerts – it’s a carefully curated escape for music and art lovers craving immersive experiences wrapped in a lush tropical backdrop. For days, creativity flows freely as the island pulses with soul-stirring basslines, sultry vocals and captivating art.

But beyond the music, Jazz season marks a time when Saint Lucia’s century-old culture roars to life.

Spanning multiple venues from the iconic Pigeon Island National Landmark to intimate community stages tucked away in rural corners, the festival delivers an experience rich in local flavour, stories and soul.

“With the arts, it’s really about our souls, touching our souls and helping us to format ourselves,” says Kentillia Louis.

A pillar of the island’s creative and cultural scene, Louis is a longtime creative director, owner of Youth Studying Performance & Culture (Youth SPAC), casting director, lecturer, curriculum officer and senior cultural officer. She also serves as an assessor for Edna Manley College and London South Bank University, dedicating decades to preserving and elevating Saint Lucia’s culture.

To her, the festival reflects Saint Lucia’s identity – a celebration of diverse voices and influences converging. She calls it a “cultural bouyon”.

“Of course, the meat of it is the different musical forms,” she says. “You have a little bit of visual arts, you have the poetry, the fashion, you know, to season it all up. So, coming to our jazz festival is really partaking in a feast.”