Travelers bound for the St. Kitts Music Festival in June can add Grammy-winning performer John Legend to the already hot lineup of artists set to perform there.
“The festival showcases a mix of musical styles while retaining a strong Caribbean flavor, so the smooth sounds of Legend will complement and enhance the overall lineup and climax the event on the final night,” said Sen. Ricky Skerritt, St. Kitts’ minister of state in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture.
Singer Billy Ocean, another Grammy winner, and the popular Zouk band Kassav are just two of the acts featured at the festival, which will be held June 26-28.
Visitors to the festival and vacationers to the island will be aided by two recent improvements in airline service - American Airlines’ nonstop flights to St. Kitts from JFK and Delta’s nonstops from Atlanta.
Visit www.stkittsmusicfestival.com online for festival information. For information about St. Kitts, contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority at 800-582-6208, email info@stkittstourism.kn or visit www.stkittstourism.kn.
More Jamaica flights
Though still coping with financial restructuring, Air Jamaica has made a strong commitment to New York passengers headed for Jamaica by increasing the number of flights from Kennedy Airport in Queens.
The airline now has four daily nonstop flights between JFK and Jamaica. Two flights will go to Montego Bay, and the other two will serve Kingston.
Air Jamaica also recently upgraded from its existing A-320 Airbus aircraft to the larger A-321, which has 38 additional seats for flights from JFK to Barbados and Grenada, also starting last week. For reservations and information, visit www.airjamaica.com.
A grand opening in Trinidad
It was a truly grand opening recently for a grand hotel - Hyatt Regency Trinidad.
The first full-service hotel to debut in the island nation in 46 years opened with an evening gala.
The new 428-room hotel is in the Port of Spain International Waterfront Development.
Trinidad and Tobago’s President George Richards and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington and the heads of government and of state from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were among the dignitaries in attendance.
Meanwhile, managers and staff at the newly opened Hyatt are working hard to make sure their establishment is known for fine cuisine. The eating excitement at the new hotel is centered on its main restaurant, Waterfront, a top-class eatery featuring Caribbean cuisine, loads of seafood, great steaks and dramatic harbor views.
For business, convention or vacation reservations, visit www.trinidad.hyatt.com or call 800-233-1234.
Jamelody’s debut CD
The soulful sound of Trinidadian roots performer Jamelody is embodied in his debut CD “Be Prepared,” on VP Records.
There’s plenty of good and easy-on-the-ears listening on the 15-track album, ranging from original tunes such as Jamelody’s “When the Saints Go to Worship” and “Wanna be There” to nicely done R&B covers of Boys II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky.”
Produced by Bobby (Digital) Dixon, the CD includes classic reggae, contemporary R&B and pop music styles. “Be Prepared” is available for digital download at https://planetreggae.com.
Jamaica Broilers meet
Health screenings, sports clinics, deaf interpretation workshops and rebuilding local schools were some of the topics on the agenda of the Jamaica Broilers Group’s 50th anniversary celebration, which took place recently in Jamaica. Hundreds of volunteers from the San Diego-based Miles Ahead organization, including former NFL player-turned-pastor Miles McPherson, worked on the humanitarian projects in conjunction with the gathering.
In honor of Malcolm X
A “Malcolm X Birthday Celebration Program,” featuring a discussion by artist Dread Scott about his art and activism, will be presented in Brooklyn on May 19 and 20 at the Hanson Place Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 88 Hanson Place (at S. Portland Avenue) from 9 a.m. to noon.
The late leader’s mother, Louise Little, was born in Grenada. He was born Malcolm Little.
The event is being sponsored by MoCADA (the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts), which is presenting Scott’s solo exhibit “Welcome to America” through June 1. Space for the discussion is limited. To R.S.V.P., email to Kim Gant at kg@mocada.org or call 718-718-230-0492.
This column is reprinted from the May 11 Sunday editions of The New York Daily News. If you have any items suitable for this column please e-mail them to jmccallister@nydailynews.com.
