Hosted by the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Events Saint Lucia, Jazz returned to the heart of Castries this week as Jazz and Arts on the Square got underway across the Derek Walcott Square from Wednesday, May 7 to Friday, May 9.
CDF has reimagined the Jazz and Arts on the Square experience, transforming it into what’s aimed to be a multi-sensory showcase that blends live music with visual arts, culinary offerings, and art installations.
“It’s similar to what you’d find at main stage Jazz, but it’s free and accessible right in the heart of the city,” Elvin Ryan Germain, Senior Media and Communications Officer at the CDF, told St Lucia Times on Wednesday.
On display at the Square was artist Adex Lava’s Poetics of (C)lay, presenting a reimagining of the coal pot. The piece is part of LOOK LUCIA—a multidisciplinary exhibition that reimagines local heritage and symbols and is inspired by Derek Walcott’s essay Fragments of Epic Memory.
Beneath three days of unrelenting sun, Jazz on the Square opened on Wednesday with a subdued atmosphere. A modest crowd filtered in during the early hours. The usual energy of live music was absent due to a funeral at the neighbouring Cathedral, which prompted a delay in performances until 3:40 p.m.
But with the music came an energy shift. Opening with a mass movement performance put on by 124 dancers, the event eventually drew a crowd. Performances from the likes of Green Mile, Salsa Kiz, and Barbara Cadet followed.
Each day of the three-day event carried a unique theme. Wednesday was Caliente Latin Beat, Thursday, Folk Fusion and Friday, Nostalgic Friday–featuring music, theatre and dance performances.
TC Brown and Semi Francis took to the stage on Friday, as part of October 4’s set, drawing a large crowd to soak in the sounds of old school classics.
“I feel real good–I mean, apart from the sun draining your energy,” Semi Francis jokingly told St Lucia Times following his performance. “I find the crowd was really good, music was nice, the atmosphere is very good. I think Jazz & Arts in the city is something to look forward to every year. I really enjoyed it.”
With food and drink concessions on site, the Square offered a lunchtime stop for city workers and a gathering spot for anyone wanting free music and art, right in the heart of the city.
