NEW YORK – The New Year will see Barbados in an island-wide musical ferment when Grammy award-winning artist Anita Baker and a cast of other regional and international artistes gather for the 14th edition of the Barbados Jazz Festival.
The line-up features stars like Macy Gray, Terrence Blanchard, Karen Briggs, Stanley Clarke, Will Downing, Robert Glasper, Goapele, Marissa Lindsay, Hal Linton, and Arturo Sandoval, along with sensational gospel duo Mary Mary and Barbadian saxophonist par excellence Arturo Tappin, who will perform January 8 to 14, 2007 at some of the island’s most picturesque locations, including the Sunbury Plantation House, Heritage Park at the Foursquare Rum Refinery, Garfield Sobers Auditorium, The Crane Resort & Residences, and Farley Hill National Park.
Arturo Tappin (right) and RHEA performed at the New York City launch of the Barbados Jazz Festival
“Barbados is an integral member of the BET J family and we are happy to support this event and the destination,” said Cybelle Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with BET Digital Networks, which partnered earlier this month with the Barbados Tourism Authority and GMR Productions, producers of the event, to launch the festival in New York City.
According to Brown, since the initial marketing partnership began three years ago, BET J’s viewer ship has grown by leaps and bounds, and the partnership today reaches millions more through BET J’s recent alliance with DirecTV. In addition to a heavy advertising rotation on BET J, VH1 Soul and other channels, including mainstream radio stations in Atlanta and New York, the network will produce and air a full one hour program on the festival and on Barbados’ sites and attractions.
A preview show of next year’s event, featuring highlights of the 13th festival, is currently on rotation on BET J’s “Island Lime” format on Saturdays. Upcoming BET J “Island Lime” air dates are November 18 and 25, and December 2, 16, 23 and 30 (1 p.m. and 7 p.m.). The show also airs on Wednesdays on November 15 and 22, and December 6, 20 and 27 (6 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following day), while the show is slated to air on BET on November 29 at 2 a.m. and again in December. All telecast times are Eastern.
From left: Ryan Blackett of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), BET J’s Cybelle Brown, Gilbert Rowe of GMR Productions and the BTA’s Vicky Chandler
Photo credit: Barbados Tourism Authority
Gilbert Rowe of GMR Productions vowed that the 2007 festival will be enjoyable … “so, if you are coming to Barbados Jazz Festival 2007, fasten your seatbelts, you are in for the ride of your life.”
For more information on Barbados Jazz Festival, visit www.barbadosjazzfestival.com.
