Jon Secada for Jazz Fest
Richie Stephens, Jah9 also make billing
ORGANISERS of Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival have listed three acts who will appear on the virtual edition of the event, set for January 28, 29 and 30.
Latin singer Jon Secada is the first international act to be named and joins locals Richie Stephens and Jah9 as the first tranche of performers rostered for the festival which has been on hiatus since 2015.
Promoter Adrian Allen told the Jamaica Observer that these three acts were carefully chosen for what they will bring to the event, and represent the first of the 16 or 18 acts which will perform on the festival.
“We will be putting out the rest of acts over the coming weeks. This includes the winners of the Band Quest competition, who will perform on the talent stage,” he said.
“Richie Stephens is part of a feature called Circle Jamaica, which we will run during the festival and showcase the culture, food and people. So we thought why not include his music on the stage as well. He has been a musical ambassador over the years and a partner of the festival over the years. Jah9 is known as a change-maker. She is currently in Africa and we wanted to bring some of that energy to the stage coupled with her mix of jazz and dub. She has never performed on the festival and we thought that she would be a good addition. Jon Secada is our comeback kid... in that he is returned to the stage, and Jamaicans enjoyed his performance the last time. He also appeal to a wide cross section of the market due to his Latin and R&B sound. So we [think] that he would be good for our patrons,” Allen continued.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Secada grew up in Hialeah, Florida. He has won two Grammy awards and has sold over 20 million records.
His self-titled debut album, released in 1992, contained the hits Just Another Day, I’m Free, Do You Believe in Us and Do You Really Want Me. The Spanish-language version of the album was named the number one selling Latin album of 1992 in the United States. It won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.
He said in deciding on a line-up for a festival such as this, that the main target is to find a balance and meet the expectation of a wide-ranging audience. He noted that the line-up of this festival is driven by international acts and this also has to be considered.
“We have to see who will bring that energy. That is why we decided to bring back some acts from the past... those we enjoyed. It’s really about resetting the playing field,” said Allen.
Started in 1996, Jamaica Jazz and Blues (formerly Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues) was created to encourage visitors to come to Jamaica during a traditionally slow tourism period for the island. Its first staging had Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Toots and the Maytals, Ernie Ranglin, and guitarists George Benson and Buddy Guy.