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The Caribbean people are uniquely inventive when it comes to music. There is almost a different rhythm for every island. Reggae, merengue, calypso, salsa (in different versions from Cuba and Puerto Rico), compas, zouk and soca. Some islands have more than one, but almost all are lively, fast and full of explosive joy.
West Indians will tune up anything to make a rhythm. Consider steel pan. The music played on it can be incredibly beautiful and yet it was created out of the discarded 50 gallon drums of the Trinidadian oil industry. See an article about steel pan in Trinidad. Underpinning all the Caribbean rhythms is the reverberation of African drums, which you will hear all over the islands, particularly in Haiti.
Caribbean music is sometimes about protest and social commentary (particularly in calypso at carnival time), but it is almost always about dancing. The rhythms are compulsive and incredibly lively. West Indians have been known to leave their jobs to get back for carnival. You can always find a place to dance, if you would like to.
In recent years a number of festivals have been created to attract visitors to the islands. These include Jazz and Blues. They tend to be designed with broad appeal, and they are worth considering as a time to visit the islands. There is even an Opera Season in Barbados.
Caribbean Music Calendar of Events
JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER
JANUARY
Barbados
Barbados Music Awards
Annual Barbados Jazz Festival
Jamaica
Accompong Maroon Festival, St Elizabeth, with dancing, singing, a Maroon feast and ceremonies
Rebel Salute, annual reggae show, Port Kaiser Sports Club, St Elizabeth
Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, local and international artists
St Barths
St Barth Music Festival, jazz, classical and chamber music, opera and ballet, with an impressive cast of musicians, some of whom come from the major orchestras around the world, at Lorient and Gustavia churches
St Kitts
St Kitts Carnival: end of carnival season with the Grand New Year’s Day Parade and Carnival Reggae Bash, followed next day by Las’ Lap Jam and Final Jump Up
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Mustique Blues Festival, Basils Bar, Mustique. Annual fund raising event featuring Dana Gillespie & The London Blues Band and other guest artists
Bequia Music Fest, Frangipani Hotel and De Reef, Bequia
Tobago
Bmobile Soca Spree, Dwight Yorke Stadium Car Park
Carnival 2010: Panorama competitions at various pan yards
Trinidad
Start of the Carnival Season with a series of fetes, calypso tents and Panorama competitions for steel pan bands
FEBRUARY
Barbados
Holetown Festival
Grenada and Carriacou
Carriacou Carnival with calypso competitions, Shakespeare Mas and costumed street parades
Jamaica
Reggae Month - Bob Marley Celebrations, a month of events held throughout the island
Bacchanal Treasures, the Jamaica carnival season begins with a series of ‘Bacchanal Friday’ themed events with live bands and ‘SocaCise’ get fit parties
St Barths
Carnival, Costumed street parades in Gustavia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Mustique Blues Festival continues
Primary School Performing Arts Festival, song, dance, drama and poetry featuring the children of St Vincent and the Grenadines
Tobago
Tobago National Steel Band Semi-Finals, Dwight Yorke Stadium
Tobago Carnival 2010, Market Square
Trinidad
Trinidad Carnival 2010, Port of Spain
Trinidad & Tobago Biennial Music Festival
MARCH
Anguilla
Moonsplash Music Festival, local and overseas musicians and groups, many from the Caribbean, perform with festival creator Bankie Banx under the full moon, on the beach at Dune Preserve, Rendezvous Bay.
Barbados
Holders Season with opera, classical music, poetry, comedy and theatre at Holders House
Jamaica
JamFest 2010, series of concerts held in Negril every Monday night during the annual ‘Spring Break’ party season. This is a three week period when American youngsters flock to Negril and Montego Bay for non-stop wild partying
2010 Bacchanal Treasures, parties continue in the run up to the main carnival events in April. 26-28 Mar
St Vincent and the Grenadines
SVG Blues & Rhythms Festival, Emerald Valley Resort, St Vincent
Trinidad
Trinidad & Tobago Biennial Music Festival
APRIL
Barbados
Oistins Fish Festival
The Barbados Reggae Festival
British Virgin Islands
Virgin Gorda Easter Festival, carnival style celebrations with a Calypso monarch competition, queen shows, nightly entertainment and a street parade in Spanish Town
Grenada and Carriacou
Regional String Band & 10th Annual Carriacou Maroon Music Festival at Belair Park with nightly
Jamaica
2010 Bacchanal Treasures, parties continue in the run up to the main carnival events
Jamaica Carinival street parade held on the Sunday after Easter Sunday
St Kitts
EasterRama, annual festival with watersports/sporting events, calypso shows and festivities in and around Sandy Point
St Lucia
Kalalu World Music Festival, Samaans Park, Choc Bay
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Easterval, Union Island
SVG Gospel Fest, Victoria Park and Peace Memorial Park, St Vincent
Tobago
Tobago International Dance Festival, Mt Irvine Bay Golf Course
Annual Tobago Jazz Experience
MAY
Antigua
Caribana, Barbuda’s carnival
Barbados
Celtic Festival, various venues, two weeks of Celtic music, dancing, rugby, golf and beach highland games
Barbados Gospelfest, annual event held at various venues including Farley Hill National Park
British Virgin Islands
BVI Music Festival, featuring international, regional and local artists, plus sand sculpting competition, fashion show, beach BBQ and swim suit competition – on the beach at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Grenada and Carriacou
Grenada Drum Festival, Krumahville, Tivoli village, St Andrew. Traditional drumming and dancing
St Lucia
St Lucia Jazz Festival, main events at Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island with a broad menu of jazz, R&B, soul etc. Very popular event with fringe activities in Castries, Soufriere and Fond d’Or Nature & Heritage Park
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Official launching of Vincy Mas 2010
Maroon Festival, Union Island. Annual cultural festival to mark the start of the planting season with the Big Drum Dancing, Nation Dance and traditional folk songs. Usually held 3 days prior to or after the full moon
JUNE
Antigua
Romantic Rhythms Music Festival
Grenada and Carriacou
Rock D Spice, annual music festival featuring international, local and regional artists. Various venues with music, local art, crafts, food and culture
Jamaica
Annual Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, various jazz concerts and events held in Ocho Rios, Kingston and the South Coast
St Kitts
Annual St Kitts Music Festival, Warner Park Stadium, with top international and regional musical acts
St Lucia
St Lucia Carnival, official launch of the carnival season. A variety of competitions will run through to July for Carnival Queen, Calypso Monarch, Panorama Champions, Party Monarch and culminates with Band of the Year
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Vincy Mas 2010, Kingstown, St Vincent. Vincy Mas Carnival Season with street parades, calypso and steel band competitions, King and Queen of the Band competitions, beauty pageants and Junior Carnival
Trinidad
WeBeat Festival, St James Amphitheatre/Western Main Road, St James, Port of Spain. Annual cultural and musical event with a Groovy Soca & Chutney Night and Children’s Show
JULY
Anguilla
Anguilla Summer Festival, Anguilla’s equivalent to carnival
Antigua
Antigua Carnival Celebrations
Barbados
Crop Over Festival, a truly local event, the festival commemorates the end of the sugarcane season and starts with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes and the crowning of the King and Queen of the Crop
British Virgin Islands
BVI Emancipation Festival/August Festival, three week cultural event with music, food, arts and crafts, calypso show, beauty pageants, boat races and parades.
Jamaica
International Reggae Day, Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston
Reggae Sumfest, the world’s premier reggae festival
Nevis
Culturama, Nevis’s major cultural festival, a seven day celebration in honour of the end of slavery. Includes calypso competitions, beauty pageant, horse racing, street parades and jump ups, centred on the Cultural Village in Charlestown.
St Lucia
St Lucia Carnival, street party with music for ‘jumping-up’ and a costumed Parade of Bands competing for Band of the Year
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Vincy Mas 2010 continues in Kingstown
Canouan Carnival
Tobago
Tobago Heritage Festival, cultural displays of music, storytelling, dance, food and local traditions
Great Fete Weekend, Pigeon Point and Crown Point, popular beach party with live pop/soca/rock music and top local DJ’s with huge sound systems
AUGUST
Anguilla
August Monday/J’ouvert Morning
Antigua
Antigua Carnival Celebrations
Barbados
Crop Over Festival
British Virgin Islands
BVI Emancipation Festival/August Festival
Grenada and Carriacou
Grenada Carnival ‘Spice Mas’, with shows and intense party action, street parades and entertainment all day and night. National Carnival Queen Show, Soca Monarch Finals, Panorama Steel Band Competition take place in the run up to carnival with the King and Queen of Carnival competition the night before
Jamaica
Anniversary of Independence, celebrations island wide with a National Float Parade and Gala through the streets of Kingston
Nevis
Culturama activities continue - Culturama Street Parade and Last Lap jump up
St Barths
SBJAM Music Festival
Tobago
Great Fete Weekend continues
Muhtadi Drum Festival, Dwight York Stadium
Castara Fisherman’s Fete, all day beach party
Trinidad
Emancipation Day, street parade with moki jumbies, steelbands and African drums, Port of Spain
SEPTEMBER
Antigua
De Jam Festival
Jamaica
Stir It Up Film & Music Festival, international film and music expo, Rose Hall, Montego Bay
Shakti Love Fest, a Spinning, Yoga and Music Charity Festival produced by Shakti Mind Body Fitness in Kingston
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Dance Festival Month. Nation wide showcase of local talent covering folk, ball room, traditional and modern dance, St Vincent
Trinidad
The Trinidad & Tobago Steelpan and Jazz Festival, Queen’s Hall, Port of Spain
OCTOBER
St Lucia
Jounen Kweyol Entenasyonnal/International Creole Day celebrates Creole food, music, games and folklore
NOVEMBER
Anguilla
Annual Tranquility Jazz Festival, international and regional artists.
Antigua
Moods of Pan Festival
Barbados
Independence Day
St Barths
Blues Festival
St Lucia
St Cecilia’s Day, Patron Saint of Music
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Theatre Arts Festival, various events taking place throughout the month - drama production, song, poetry, music, creative writing, dance and body building. Peace Memorial Hall, St Vincent
DECEMBER
Anguilla
Festival de Noel
Grenada and Carriacou
Annual Carriacou Parang Festival, Hillsborough, Carriacou. Starts with a free open-air concert and features cultural entertainment, carol singing (including house-to-house) and Parang string bands
St Kitts
St Kitts Carnival with calypso shows, steel band, calypso and party monarch competitions, beauty pageant, street and beach parties, food fair, parade of troupes and bands
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Nine Mornings Festival, St. Vincent. A unique annual Christmas festival which begins with a community lighting programme. Starts each morning at 4am with a range of activities which include street concerts, sea baths (early morning swimming), street dancing, bicycle (decorated) riding, story telling and carol singing. Street stalls with local food and drinks. Evening events include a National Carolling Contest
Please note that exact dates vary annualy and the above events may be subject to change/cancellation. Please check locally for confirmation of details.
To see details of MUSIC by island, please select from the island list below:
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