L to R - John Arnold, Administrator of DTT Ritchie Toppin, Camille Parsons of Carnival TV and Avion Hercules at the Hyatt - 01.26.2012
Spellbinding musical performances, mouthwatering local cuisine, stimulating cultural showcases and a myriad of captivating diversions – there’s no denying it, the Tobago Jazz Experience is an all-encompassing festival that is irrefutably “much more than music.”
The Division of Tourism and Transportation of the Tobago House of Assembly officially launched the Tobago Jazz Experience 2012 during a two-day media event that started on January 26, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad and ended on January 27, 2012 at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Tobago.
Assemblyman Oswald Williams, Secretary of Tourism and Transportation, delivered the feature address at the Tobago launch, describing the festival as one that offers “world class entertainment for the benefit of Tobago, our brothers and sisters in Trinidad, our cousins in the Caribbean and all visitors from around the world”. The Secretary also identified the event as one that boosts Tobago’s visibility in the tourism market and gave his assurance that “Tobago is ready to welcome all.”
The Tobago Jazz Experience 2012 returns to the island from April 21 to 29, 2012 and this year’s headliner acts include the dynamic vocals of Grammy Award nominated Angie Stone; the edgy stage presence of Grammy Award winner, Janelle Monáe; the passionate rhythms of Brit Award winner, Emeli Sandé; the tantalizing beats of renowned Barbadian saxophonist, Arturo Tappin, along with popular local artistes like David Rudder, Kes the Band and Dil-E-Nadan.
New elements have also been added to this year’s itinerary:
- The Tobago Jazz Auditions on February 5 and 12, 2012 will provide exceptional, aspiring local artistes with the opportunity to perform on one of the Tobago Jazz Experience stages.
- The Edu-Jazz workshops at several schools will introduce the next generation of music enthusiasts to some of the festival’s featured performers.
- The northern region will play host for the first time with Northside Jazz in the village of Castara, where visitors can try authentic clay oven bread and help the local fishermen haul in their catch.
So come indulge in an experience that is uniquely and distinctly that of destination Tobago.
Tobago Jazz Experience 2012 Schedule:
Jazz in the East – Saturday 21st April, Speyside Recreational Grounds, 5p.m.
Jazz on the Hill – Sunday 22nd April, Signal Hill Recreational Grounds, 5p.m.
Edu-Jazz Workshop – Monday 23rd & Tuesday 24th April, TBD
Jazz on the Waterfront – Wednesday 25th April, Scarborough Esplanade, 6p.m.
Jazz in the North – Thursday 26th April, Castara Beach, 1p.m.
World Music Night – Friday 27th April, Pigeon Point Heritage Park (PPHP), 7:30p.m.
Pan Night (Pazzazz) – Saturday 28th April, PPHP, 7:30p.m.
Jazz on the Beach – Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th April, Mt. Irvine Bay, 11a.m.
Beach Jazz Fiesta – Sunday 29th April, PPHP, 4p.m.
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13 Responses to "Tobago Jazz Experience 2012: Much More Than Music" 
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said this on 10 Mar 2012 5:24:18 PM UTC
The committee responsible for bringing the artistes need to revise the persons invited to perform...Angie Stone is nice but, how many of her songs are popular. Think about it, Jeffrey Osborne, Freddie Jackson, James Ingram and Peabo Bryson would be on one stage in Trinidad on April 28th and Angie Stone is all you can come up with....I looked forward with my group to come to Jazz since last year's Jazz, we are so disappointed! Try Anita Baker or something...Sade....somebody else.
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said this on 27 May 2012 2:52:57 PM UTC
I agree 1000000%. The only thing I'd say in Tobago's (admin) defense is that Sade costs US$4M... she was during her tour... the least she'd come out for may be US$1.5 and that would definitely have to be something well executed. Other than that... yes ANGIE STONE & JANELLE MONAE... although really really awesome musicians and awesome for the lineup... for them to headline is ridiculously insane. Come on Tobago... whoever your agents/handlers are, are not doing your any good. A lot more can come toward Tobago's direction if a strategic change came along.
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said this on 11 Mar 2012 2:49:39 PM UTC
Who is the target market? I ask this because from my experience it is the locals who support this festival and most of us will not be taking 5 days off from work. I agree with Alicia. The headliners are tame in the scheme of things.
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said this on 23 Mar 2012 5:01:34 PM UTC
Is this an event that will be happening annually?
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said this on 25 Mar 2012 3:14:12 PM UTC
If the Tobago Jazz Experience is to be taken seriously as an International festival, as well as a tool for boosting tourism, the procurement of a good mix of headline artists, both international and national is paramount. To date the release of information/artists has been issued far too late.
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said this on 25 Mar 2012 5:14:15 PM UTC
The festival is good, but there is room for improvement to bring it to international standard
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said this on 28 Mar 2012 11:42:43 AM UTC
I totally agree with Alicia, it would be nice to have more well known artistes to attract a larger crowd. I'm sure the Jazz committee can do better
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said this on 10 Apr 2012 4:15:20 PM UTC
Small minded incompetents running the show. The management team of the THA Tourism Div. is staffed by THA Political Appointees, not business people.....To expect better would be fooling yourself...
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said this on 11 Apr 2012 5:08:35 PM UTC
I am personally disappointed because when I started to research to book my ticket to the event, I found a Newsday article dated February 17, 2012 saying the event was "postponed", something to do with Celine Dion and 2.5 million U.S payment request. I started arranging for another vacation to hear now that it's still on. Not good. I'm very disappointed because I had my mind made up since last year to attend this year's festivities.
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said this on 11 Apr 2012 5:10:50 PM UTC
Very sorry, guess I'm not suppose to attend. Just realized the article is dated 2009. Everything happens for a reason
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said this on 20 Apr 2012 12:32:31 PM UTC
As it is,this is not a jazz festival at all,where is the jazz?why advertise it as a jazz festival when there are no jazz artists involved except for a few locals,why not call it the Tobago music fest and it will be fine,this is laughable....
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said this on 07 Jun 2012 2:29:30 PM UTC
There was one foreign Jazz artiste from Argentina - Cecilia Mendez
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said this on 28 Apr 2012 8:09:35 PM UTC
This is an avenue to promote Trinidad and Tobago not only from a music perspective but also culture and history.
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