The Fifth Anguilla Tranquillity Jazz Festival in Anguilla is expected to be a grand occasion. It was launched on Monday this week on the grounds of the Tourist Board Building in The Valley. The festival, from November 8-13, is usually held around that tine to jump-start the tourism season and it has proven to be an effective occasion to woo many tourists to the island.

Government Officials, sponsors and others at the Launching Ceremony

“We at the Anguilla Tourist Board are proud to be associated with what we passionately believe is well on its way to becoming the most formidable, giant festival in the region hence the festival’s tag line reflects ‘straight no-chaser’. It declares that we are not mixing this music genre with any other,” Marketing Director, Merlyn Rogers, who chaired the proceedings, said in her opening remarks.

L-R: Val Banks, Merlyn Rogers and Amelia Vanterpool-Kubisch

“We believe that the Tranquillity Jazz Festival has become more that just a way to jump start the tourist season. It is more than just a component to diversity our product offerings. It is more than just a marketing tool or that it is the ideal fit with brand Anguilla. While it is all of these, we firmly believe it is most importantly a long-term investment in the youth of Anguilla. We are all cognisant of the many investors who are here and their investment of millions of dollars in physical structures, and of course expect returns on their investments over a particular time. Likewise, we know that Tranquillity Jazz will have high returns on our investment because through this we hope not only to start interest but to have meaningful impact on the lives of young people with the gift of music.

Rueben Rogers

“As visionaries we must see the year 2017 when the festival’s bill board will feature Anguillian youth who would have been influenced by our actions in 2007.”

Shermel Richardson

Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, said: “We feel that because we are a small destination we are not having a music festival per se – there are so many musical festivals throughout the region. We want to focus on bringing a pure jazz venture to the Caribbean region and since Anguilla is a destination which prides itself on being very selective of the kinds of products that we sell this form of festival would be the type which we should identify ourselves with.

Onaje Gumbs

“We have found that the clientele we have for the most part are accustomed of this aspect of music culture and it is something that the Anguillian people need to become acquainted with also. Over the years we have put in place an aspect of this whole exercise: the involvement of our young people in the Jazz Festival. It is important because the entertainment component of the tourism industry demands the kind of music that is associated with jazz, blues and so forth. It is the kind of relaxing atmosphere our visitors like to enjoy.”

Mr. Banks was of the view that over the past five years the Jazz Festival had improved with some fine-tuning. He noted that the St. Lucia Jazz Festival had been one of the earlier such festivals in the region and that it had included various kinds of other forms of music but the event was now returning to the straight up jazz Anguilla is trying to sell.

“If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity to be the first out of the gate, we will find ourselves in a situation where the St. Lucia Jazz Festival which has already made a name for itself will be able to benefit from offering this kind of straight-up jazz as a form of entertainment as a festival,” he cautioned.

Banks thanked all of the sponsors over the past five years. He mentioned that the Anguilla Government had seeded the project over those years and the various corporate businesses through their sponsorships had made the Jazz Festival what it now was and hoped to be in the future. “We believe that it is something that Anguilla needs to cultivate and we think that with your support we can successfully makes jazz an important aspect of what we in Anguilla offer as a part of our tourism product,” he added.

Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board, John Benjamin, gave an overview of the festival and the Tourist Board’s commitment to its continued growth. He reflected that over the past years hardly any visitors came to Anguilla until the thanksgiving period of the tourism season and the decision was taken to introduce the Jazz Festival as a means of attracting more tourists at the start of the season.

“It speaks a lot to the foresight and vision of the Government of Anguilla to have taken on this initiative,” Mr. Benjamin stated in recalling some of the criticisms and other negative comments about using large sums of money to finance the event.

“Visitors to Anguilla nowadays do not just want sun, sea and sand. They want something that that they can actually attend and enjoy as well,” he continued. “We have over the five years something unique which has developed unexpectedly out of this programme. We have the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive Music Department which has strengthened its jazz element. This year we have had a production by the school following teaching sessions by visiting jazz players. As a result they will be taking part in the upcoming jazz and that is a plus for us here in Anguilla. Nobody has ever done that in the Caribbean.

“In addition we were fortunate to have the foresight of the Directors of National Bank of Anguilla. They too, like the Government, came onboard recognising the importance of these types of festivals to Anguilla. I must commend National Bank for the vision not only that they have come on board but that now we are presently negotiating another contract for another three years.”

Mr. Benjamin was also grateful to all sponsors and other persons for their continuing role in the jazz festival.

Festivals Coordinator, Fitzroy Tomlinson, gave a rundown of the events. He reported that the festival would start with a new event on Friday, November 2 with “Jazz in the Yard” at the Social Security Office Complex. The event will be from 4-7 pm and will feature performers from the Anguilla Schools Jazz Band.
On Thursday, November 8, at 9 o’clock will be the opening night at CuisinArt Resort and Spa with the usual dinner and jazz involving visiting and Anguillian players. Featuring will be Diane Schuur of the USA and Shermel Richardson of Anguilla. On Friday November 9 at 11 a.m. will be jazz at the car park at National Bank featuring a number of local musicians including students from the Comprehensive School.

In the evening, the main stage venue will be at the Temenos/St. Regis Golf Club adding some ambience to the annual event. It will feature USA musicians Monty Alexander, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Liv Warfield and the Anguilla Jazz Ensemble. There will be further performances at the Temenos/St. Regis Golf Club on Saturday, November 10 at 8 pm. The feature performers will be Cassandra Wilson, Reuben Rogers, Mike Phillips and the Anguilla Jazz Ensemble. It has been arranged for young musicians from the Comprehensive School to participate in all of the performances.

The final event will be on Sunday, November 11 at Johnno’s Beach Bar and Restaurant at Sandy Ground, starting at 3 pm.
Mr. Tomlinson said that tickets were now on sale over the next three weeks with special prices at US$20.00, a move sanctioned by the Anguilla Government to encourage more Anguillians and other persons to attend the jazz performances.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Anguilla, E. Valentine Banks, observed that the festival was an important part of the island’s annual calendar of events. “It is critical for our young people and our public to appreciate an art form like this,” he told the gathering, “We have lots of calypsos, soca and reggae around and we need to broaden our musical understanding and appreciation and this [US$50,000] is our contribution. We are involved in all the other festivals and fun events around the island…and so it is not difficult to be a part of this jazz festival. We certainly believe in it.”

He hoped that there would be a successful festival as was the case over the past years, last year having exceptional.
Other speakers were Colwayne Pickering who spoke on behalf of Digicel and its supporting role as one of the leading sponsors, and Music Teacher at the Comprehensive School, Kimba Southwell, who told of her department’s interest and involvement in the jazz festival.

The various sponsors of the festival, as mentioned by Merlin Rogers, include: the Anguilla Government which planted the seed money; the National Bank of Anguilla, the Official Bank for the jazz; Social Security, CuisinArt Resort and Spa, St. Regis/Temenos Golf Club; Paradise Cove Resort; Ocean Terrace; American Airlines, American Eagle; Avis/Apex Car Rental and Tropical Shipping/Haskins Ltd and Digicel.
This year two jazz performers with Anguillian connections will be among the visiting performers. They are Onage Allan Gumbs with family roots at South Hill and The Valley, and Reuben Rogers whose family ties are in the Cauls Bottom, Wattices area. Other Anguillian players will be Shermel Richardson who is the principal flautist with the Albena Lake- Hodge Comprehensive School’s Concert Band and a number of other students.

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