Courtesy of: The Morning News
By: Rosalie Klein
Set to take place over Columbus Day Weekend, Friday and Saturday, October 4 & 5, is Aruba’s Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival, now in its seventh year.
Founder of the CSJF, Erik Jan Eman, explained that since the event has grown so greatly in popularity, they had to move to a larger venue and will deploy the Renaissance Marketplace in Oranjestad for this year’s festival.
Island press were welcomed for a tour of the venue, to explain the logistics of this change of location. The main entry to the waterside of the Renaissance Marketplace will be closed to cars, and area will be devoted to the stages and seating. Three stages, the Divi, Padu and Purple, will be hosting performances throughout each evening.
The Divi Stage is the bandstand in the courtyard of The Plaza Cafe and Casa Tua. Close to the water behind this stage is where Stage Padu will be located, and the huge parking lot adjacent to it will be set up for the audience.
Inside the convention center will be the Purple Stage, and adjacent, in the Renaissance Fiesta Garden, will be the popular food court and beverage stands. The lane that is usually the exit for the Renaissance Marketplace will be converted into a two-way lane allowing access to the parking lot adjacent to Wilhelmina Park. An arrangement has been made for the large parking lots next to the Plaza Turismo across from Talk of the Town Resort, and the other parking areas of the Linear Park to be used for the festival over those two night. A fleet of trams will be traversing the bike paths regularly to transport concert goers from their cars to the Renaissance Marketplace.
Confirmed headliners for Friday’s concerts will be El Gran Combo from Puerto Rico, Willy Garcia ( from Grupo Niche ), Giovanca and Levi Silvanie.
Taking the stage on Saturday evening will be jazz icon George Benson, Jose James, Groove Hunters, Gualao, Luci & The Soul Brokers and Beardy Man. After parties with the artists jamming until the wee hours will be held at Chaos Cafe, across the street.
The convention center will also house the famous CSJF Art Show, with Curators on the Go Michi Takatsu and Eduardo Valbuena. This year they will again raffle art and have an auction, and noted local artists will all contribute the real-time creation of the piece that will be the raffle prize.
Erik Jan Eman reminded media that are special subsidized tickets for island youth, to stimulate interest in the fine art of interpretive music, through UNOCA, the FDEC and Skol di Arte in San Nicolas. Students 18 and under can purchase these special tickets for 10 Aruban florins at those art centers.
The concerts may be taking place over the weekend, but as is tradition, informal, free, warm up events will be conducted with the various visiting performers at venues around the island. Beginning at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 1, music lovers can enjoy the Rufo Wever School of Music band at the Divi Stage next to The Plaza Cafe. On Wednesday, Sazon Cubano will begin performing at Arawak Gardens in Palm Beach at 7:30 PM. Thursday, Luci & The Soul Brokers will heat things up at MooMba Beach, beginning at 7:00 PM.
Concert tickets are available online at http://www.caribbeanseajazz.com/ as well as Superfood, Cliffix Music, Espiga de Oro, Gallo Rojo, De Palm Tour Hotel Desks, Plaza Book Shops, Wema and MooMba Beach Bar & Restaurant.
