Anytime is a good time to visit Mustique, an isle in the Caribbean St. Vincent and the Grenadines island chain, but January is extra-special because of the Mustique Blues Festival, taking place January 21 through February 4 this year.
The 2009 lineup includes Joe Louis Walker, Ian Siegal, Dana Gillespie, Ronnie Jones, Julien Brunetaud and The Two Timers, with Sarah James and Gordon Russell.
Providing musical backing for the featured artists will be the London Blues band with Alain Baudry, Enrico Morena, Mike Paice, Jeff Walker and Jake Zeitz.
Mustique has scenic beauty, agreeable weather and, of course, Basil’s Bar. Run by owner Basil Charles, the island enterprise includes the bar, a restaurant in St. Vincent’s capital of Kingstown, the annual music festival and an online store, which sells books, T-shirts and CDs of past music festivals. Proceeds from the CDs go to the Basil Charles Educational Foundation aiding St. Vincent residents.
For information on the popular Basil’s Bar, its music festival and other activities, visit www.basilsbar.com, send e-mail to basils@caribsurf.com or call 784-488-8350.
Independence day party
Celebrate the new year and the 204th anniversary of Haiti’s independence at a special event Sunday, January 11 at Solomon’s Porch in Brooklyn, starting at 6 p.m.
The affair features appearances by Obed Jean-Louis, Klode Garoute, Jerry Georges and others. The host for the event will be Nadege Fleurimond. The show is being presented by Kalalou Kafe.
Solomon’s Porch is located at 307 Stuyvesant Avenue (at Halsey St.) and cover charge is just $5. For information, call 718-919-8001, or visit www.myspace/solomonsporchcafe online.
Ashford & Simpson at Jamaica fest
The famous duo Ashford & Simpson has joined the lineup of the 2009 Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, taking place January 22-24 at Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The award-winning pair - known for writing Motown hits such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and tunes such as “Solid as a Rock” for themselves - will join Lionel Ritchie, Randy Crawford and Joe Sample, the O’Jays, Atlantic Starr, Robin Thicke, Maxi Priest, Hasidic reggae singer Matisyahu and others at the music festival.
Tickets are $80 per night, $155 for a weekend pass (Friday-Saturday) and $235 for all three days. Visit www.jamaicajazzandblues.com for tickets and information.
In tune with many cultures
Versatile Haitian-American vocalist Martina Bruno will perform a variety of musical styles, from classical to gospel and reggae, in the “One World, One Song” concert Sunday, January 11 afternoon at the Grace Congregational Church in Harlem.
The Queens-born singer, who is touting her recent CD “Angelic Tones,” started performing publicly with the respected John Motley-led All City High School Chorus when she was 13. She went on to complete an extensive music education, including studies at the Conservatory at Purchase College, and spent time as an exchange student at the Conservatory of Mantua in Italy.
With support from a growing fan base and her parents, she’s worked with the Music Under New York project, performed for events at City Hall and the United Nations, and sung at programs for EMG Health Communications, a nonprofit group serving minorities.
“I’m so thankful for my parents, who are very, very Haitian. They love the fact that I’m singing,” said Bruno, who noted she’ll sing an international array of songs in the show. “I’m a New Yorker, so I connect with many cultures.”
A reception for the concert begins at 3 p.m. and the show follows. The suggested donation for the show is $25, but all donations from patrons will be appreciated. The Grace Congregational Church is located at 310 West 139th Street. For information on the show or about Bruno’s “Angelic Tones” CD and her myspace.com web page, send e-mail to martina bruno@gmail.com.
A big production in Montserrat
Down in Montserrat, Marsha Dionne Meade has taken the helm of the Montserrat Cultural Center, and will guide it into the New Year. The state-of-the-art production facility opened in 2007 with support from George Martin, who produced The Beatles and a host of other famous performers. For more information about Montserrat, visit www.visitmontserrat.com.
This column is reprinted from the January 4 Sunday editions of The New York Daily News. If you have items suitable for this column please e-mail them to jmccallister@nydailynews.com.
