Barbados Jazz Festival 2006

My first impression of Barbados? Island culture served up with a healthy portion of Her Majesty’s pomp and

circumstance. As my time spent in Barbados passed, I came to see that while there is a sophisticated order, there are signs of a fun-loving side as well that enriches the island's flavour. I thank the Barbados Tourism Authority ("BTA") for hosting myself, as well as Donovan Bailey and his wife Michelle - done in first rate and hospitable fashion. Although the real vibe did not hit me as we drifted through the first couple of days of the 2006 Barbados Jazz Festival - it did come and I was able to eventually embrace the celebration of jazz done up in Barbadian (or Bajan) style.

The BTA made arrangements for the three of us to stay at The Crane (www.thecrane.com) which was quite spectacular (a hotel, by the way, that I would never normally be able to afford!). The Crane is Caribbean's first resort hotel and prides itself on privacy, exclusivity and old-world charm. The view was one that residents and visitors alike would come out to view. Despite the construction and additions being built on the property (which was unbelievably disturbing at times), the service and staff were very accommodating. This particular hotel is quite far from more dynamic spots on the island and transportation to and from was lengthy most days. For the high price of admission, guests are spoiled with age-old hospitality ... an experience I won't soon forget. I was taken to dinner at Zen, a sushi restaurant at The Crane, where the chef is from Toronto! What a surprise that I actually liked sushi! And the service and food were unbelievable – very high rating!

Another impression of Barbados (at least at this festival) is that there is a keen sense of punctuality! The Bajans seem to take their rules of infrastructure very seriously and we found ourselves often following procedure - not necessarily a bad thing but I found it surprising for an island in the Caribbean during a festival for some reason. I've only been to a couple of these festivals but I did enjoy and appreciate this aspect.

Now, I'll walk you through the festival and the island as succinctly as possible with the highlights from my viewpoint.

Monday's night of jazz was Roy Hargrove and Italian Roberta Gambarini at the Sunbury Great House. While I thought that Roy Hargrove was excellent, the standout performance for me was Roberta Gambarini, who, albeit sang jazz standards only, had a great ability to make the standards her own with many of her own arrangements that included mimicking the instrumental stylings of the given artists (Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie) with her highly-trained vocal manipulations. All of this in an outdoor setting with chairs and tents - quite a nice evening.

Tuesday night was the night for local artists to perform and what a load of talent the Bajans have in the jazz genre, namely Artwork and Wayne Willock who performed at Rum Factory & Heritage Park. Unfortunately, due to rain, the attendance was down that night but those jazz lovers that attended, enjoyed a full night of local talent jamming the night away. Dignitaries in attendance that evening included the Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney General, the Hon. Mia Mottley and Minister of Tourism and International Transportation, the Hon. Noel Lynch. Due to the high recommendation from our generous driver, Emerson Clarke, we ventured to Oistens for some fresh grilled fish - the best fish I've ever tasted and well-known on the island!

That evening was the much-anticipated concert of Jill Scott at Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. Now when I heard it was at a gym, I couldn't figure out why this venue was chosen but it was more of an auditorium. Jill confessed that when she heard it was an island festival, she just wore her 'comfy clothes' only to find that the crowd was stylishly dressed. But who cared when Jill brought her soulful rendition of her collection of material to the very reserved Bajan crowd. Pockets of her fans represented around Sobers Gymnasium but despite her efforts to get the audience involved, it was only during her most popular tracks that there was audience reaction. They did, however, make enough noise to warrant an encore which was graciously supplied by Jill and her outstanding band. All in all, a night of real music ... perhaps not under the jazz genre per se but I welcomed the variation.

Thursday the BTA hosted most of the Canadian press and some other special guests on the Tiami, a catamaran day cruise which took us around the island for snorkelling, jet skiing, eating and drinking. The gods shone on us, as it was a perfect day weather-wise with a great crew and stops along the way to see familiar water spots on the island. A great, fun and relaxing day with our Canadian reps!

Maxor Vacation Services and the BTA invited us to a cocktail reception that evening in St. Michael - a lovely and tranquil spot where we relaxed amongst good people, including Orville Folkes from Marville Travel who handled all our ticketing. We were then whisked to a local hangout called The Ship Inn in Christ’s Church – a really good live band called The Strategy Band.

Friday - the highest priced ticket of the festival - Lionel Richie in concert again at Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. Another questionable choice as a headliner in a jazz festival but definitely a favourite artist among the Barbadian people - or at least that's what we thought at the price of $100 US which was sold out. Lionel brought all he had to the stage, having just arrived in time for the show from a 12-hour flight from Honolulu where he performed the night before. But again, we noticed watching from our seats that the crowd barely responded to their favourite Lionel Richie songs until he demanded that they stand up and dance which they did so hesitantly. But then the audience seemed to settle in again but with a smile on their faces this time. I really enjoyed this show and was impressed at how Lionel interacted and entertained. Definitely a veteran performer who knows how to read his audience.