Jazz ‘n’ Creole, Dominica style

DOMINICA

The Jazz scene in Dominica is picking up again after being in the doldrums for years. Over the past twenty years, measured attempts were made to return the genre to the live stage with the occasional tour and a most valiant move at a Jazz club, which held on for a bit. Through it all, a small core of do-or-die musicians with a penchant for the art form, kept the faith against the odds and with little recompense.

Inspired by the World Creole Music Festival, a pre-festival event has received generous sponsorship from a major business house in Dominica to the benefit of the music industry in general and of course the fledgling Jazz fraternity on the island.

Then in the past couple of years, a number of indoor and open-air events took place in the Dominica capital, Roseau and at the Cabrits National Park situated to the northern-western end of the town of Portsmouth. Speaking of the Cabrits, the site of an old English garrison called Fort Shirley overlooking the magnificent Portsmouth harbour, it was host to Creole ‘n’ All That Jazz, featuring Trio Laviso out of the French isles, in May 2010.

Creole ‘n’ All That Jazz, a name borrowed by the producers, Discover Dominica Authority, was renamed Jazz ‘n’ Creole for the second edition on June 12, 2011. 

Barbara Cadet at Jazz 'n' Creole 2011, Dominica (Credit: Celia Sorhaindo)

This time around, Dominica welcomed the legendary Martinique pianist Ronald Tulle along with double bassist Alex Bernard who backed up Dominica’s own Michele Henderson, St. Lucian saxophonist Barbara Cadet and Alfredo de la Fe from the United States. Opening for them were a pair of Dominican Jazz outfits, Pan and Sam and Shades of Green.

Michele Henderson at Jazz 'n' Creole 2011, Dominica (Credit: Celia Sorhaindo

Source: Caribbean Festivals