All set for jazz at Speyside, Pigeon Point

Ne-Yo…headline act for Pigeon Point
Ne-Yo…headline act for Pigeon Point

The 2018 Tobago Jazz Experience (TJE) will kick off Saturday with Jazz in the East Caribbean Night at Speyside, followed on Sunday with the World Music International Night at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park. Jamaican reggae artistes Tarrus Riley and Tanya Stephens are slated as headline acts for the Speyside event, which starts at 6pm and is free to the public while Ne-Yo will headline a multi-award-winning cast that features Grammy and Soul Train Awards’ winner Fantasia and Anthony Hamilton at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park. This show kicks off at 3.30pm with gates opening from 2.30 pm.

Executive Chairman of the Tobago Festivals Commission, George Leacock, said on Wednesday, his team was in the process of completing the ground work for the shows.

“As a promoter of an event you always wish you had more time but the experience that we have on hand, there is a structured roll out of activities and everything that is important is not necessarily urgent… we are happy with the progress,” said Leacock, speaking at the post Executive Council media briefing.

“… we are certain that the artistes are coming prepped to deliver and we have to just put the infrastructure and all the surrounding things in place to give them the best opportunity to do that. That includes the national instrument and we have had to make some special arrangements to put the steelpan on the stage as opposed to on the ground, on the side or on a side stage or anything of the sort and we are trying to complete systems set up to allow for all of the local performers to get some play time as opposed to sound check,” he said.

Also speaking at the media briefing, Tourism Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips, stating that the Port Authority and Caribbean Airlines (CAL) were going the extra mile to accommodate travellers, said persons with tickets to the jazz shows will be given priority to get to Tobago.

“I know that Mr Leacock as well has been having conversations to ensure that things are smooth leading up to the jazz weekend and they (Port and CAL) have given us the assurance,” she said.

“We met with representatives of Caribbean Airlines at a meeting headed by the Honourable Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles on Monday and they gave us the assurance that persons wishing to travel from Trinidad once they have a Jazz ticket they would be given priority to come to Tobago and of course to return to Trinidad,” she added.

Stewart-Phillips also urged patrons at the shows to obey the orders of the law enforcement officers, especially at the Speyside event.

“Patrons are asked to accept the direction of the police officers on duty, of course because we are expecting an influx at Speyside on Saturday. Their main priority would be to keep roadways clear so that the traffic would flow as smoothly as possible and of course ensures that everyone is in Speyside to hear Taurus Riley,” she said.

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"All set for jazz at Speyside, Pigeon Point"

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