3-day music festival to launch in May

Styles ranging from Afrobeat and R&B to dancehall and jazz will be featured at the new Virgin Islands Music Festival on May 24-26, the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission announced last week.

Themed “60 Beats, One Vibe” to echo the approximately 60 islands and cays that make up the Virgin Islands, the three-day event is scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend holiday in the United States.

Headliners include Nigerian American actor and singer Rotimi; Trinidad and Tobago soca artist Voice; Jamaican dancehall and reggae performer Alkaline; United States R&B singer Freddie Jackson; and Virgin Islands-based soca band VIBE, the BVITB announced in a Friday press release.

The three days will be divided up by musical style, with May 24 featuring soca, afrobeat and R&B; May 25 featuring reggae dancehall and hip hop; and May 26 featuring jazz, soul, pop and Latin, organisers said.

‘Events tourism’

“Premier Honourable Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley articulated the vision for events tourism to be an integral part of the BVI’s tourism marketing strategy, as events put a positive spotlight on the destination and stimulate economic activity including accommodation rentals, vehicle rentals, restaurants, and transportation,” said Tourism Director Clive McCoy. “He has charged my team at the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission to bring back a three-day music festival the likes of which have not been seen here since 2013.”

More details are to be announced during a press conference scheduled for tomorrow.