Multiple Grammy Award Winning Artist, John Legend to be the top act for St. Kitts Music Festival

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Grammy Award Winning artist John Legend will be the premier act at the 12th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which will take place from June 26-28, 2008.

John Legend stepped into the spotlight as a leading performer in 2004 with his debut album, “Get Lifted.” He earned eleven Grammy Award nominations, from which he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (“Ordinary People”) and Best R&B Album. He has worked with several top talents in the music business, having appeared on albums by Lauryn Hill, the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Janet Jackson and Kanye West, among others. John’s sophomore album, “Once Again,” debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 (#1 on the R&B Charts) when it was released in October 2006. His third studio album is scheduled for release this August.

John Legend
“John Legend has emerged as one of the most exciting R&B performers in the world and we are pleased that he will be in St. Kitts this year,” said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports & Culture. “The Festival showcases a mix of musical styles while retaining a strong Caribbean flavor, so the smooth sounds of John Legend will complement and enhance the overall line-up and climax the event on the final night. Moreover, Mr. Legend’s charitable efforts indicate a strong match with sustainable development principles to which we are deeply committed on St. Kitts.”

Among his philanthropic achievements, John recently launched the Show Me Campaign. The mission of the Show Me Campaign is to fight economic and spiritual poverty through fostering sustainable development (personal, social, educational, economic) at the individual, family and small community levels. It is a grassroots movement that engages all of its participants as agents of transformative change from the bottom up.

Minister Skerritt said that additional musical acts for the St Kitts Music Festival will soon be announced. Grammy Award winner, Billy Ocean and leading Zouk musical act, Kassav, have already been announced. Now in its 12th consecutive year, the festival attracts both locals and visitors alike. It features various musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music.