THE VALLEY, Anguilla – Kenneth Hodge, Director of Radio Anguilla, and a leading media personality on the island, says the recently concluded Anguilla Tranquility Jazz Festival has contributed to the transformation of every one of the 35 square miles of the British overseas territory.
Hodge explains that the festival, produced for the BET Jazz channel by BET Event Productions, is bringing good results. “Congratulations for being an integral part of (the) transformation of Anguilla,” Hodge told Cybelle Brown, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with BET Digital Networks in an interview at the station’s headquarters. He said that the spirit in the lead-up to the festival this year was at an all-time high and it was heartening to meet people who had come to the island simply to be a part of the jazz experience. “I’m looking forward to greater and better things in the years to come.”
The event, billed as the only straight ahead jazz festival in the region, attracted the musical genius of vocalists Marlena Shaw, Freddy Cole, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, vibes master Stefon Harris, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, vocalist Claudia Acuña, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist Mulgrew Miller, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the Grammy award-winning singer and percussionist, Poncho Sanchez.
“We stepped up on the marketing this year and found really creative ways to promote the festival,” said Brown, who noted that the island benefited from BET’s promotion of the festival on air, at numerous jazz festivals across the United States and in the international jazz media. “This festival is our precious gem, and we’re happy you can see the results,” Brown added, promising that the Anguilla festival will continue to develop as the only, best and unique “straight ahead jazz festival” in the Caribbean.
The Anguilla Tranquility Jazz Festival attracted serious jazz aficionados, who contributed to high hotel occupancies, car rental sales and visitor expenditure throughout the November 9-13 window. BET Jazz will televise performances, featuring St. Lucia-based host Portia Mogal, and other highlights from the festival in the spring of 2006. “The primary goal (for Anguilla) is to significantly develop the awareness in the US for this type of event in the Caribbean … we want to expose incredible jazz music with the ocean as a backdrop, beautiful beaches and friendly people,” said Brown, whose organization collaborated with the Anguilla Tourist Board to generate major press coverage of the event. “We want to see Anguilla’s festival become the Caribbean sibling of jazz in New Orleans or Newport.”
Anguilla is a pristine and private escape wrapped in a beautiful and brilliant turquoise sea. The island features 33 stunning, powder-soft white sand beaches, warm and friendly people, a wide range of first-class lodging options, activities, and entertainment that provides visitors with fun long into the night and beyond.
