Jazz Time in St Lucia

Upon my visits to St Lucia, I have never been fortunate enough to be there during the Jazz Festival.  This May there will be many distinguished musicians, vocalists and performers including Michael Bolton, Air Supply and Anita Baker.  This festival is an internationally acclaimed event encompassing acoustical jazz, new age jazz, fusion, rhythm and blues.

This scene is a far cry from the early 17th century when a group of Englishmen from a ship named the “Olive Branch” tried to set up a permanent colony but many were killed by Carib Indians within a few weeks.  Efforts by both the British and French to colonize the island of St Lucia proved abortive until the second half of the 17th Century.

The last transfer of power at the end of the Napoleonic wars left St Lucia in British hands and slaves were emancipated in 1836.  By the 20th century, St Lucia was finally granted self government by the West Indies Act of 1967.

Today, whilst St Lucia still remains agricultural with bananas being the most important crop, there are many sporting activities as well as traditional jazz music and tempting restaurants with excellent local cuisine.

Situated between Martinique and St Vincent, this lovely island has some of the best scenery in the Caribbean with white sandy beaches, rugged green jungles and undulating agricultural land.  It has a decidedly French atmosphere and many of the place names are French, from the capital Castries, to Vieux Fort on the southern tip of the island.

There are some lovely new developments presently being built on marinas for the keen yachtsman, and golf for the golf enthusiast on this beautiful island and for those discerning purchasers who would like to ‘live the dream’ and indulge in a change of lifestyle either for permanent living or exotic holidays, I have full details so don’t hesitate to blog.

Eugenie