Experience Jazz All Over Bonaire at This Year’s Jazz Festival

This year, a very popular Bonaire tradition will return to the island, when the Fifth Annual Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival takes place on June 4 through 7, 2009. A variety of music styles will be heard around the island when internationally famous musicians mingle with the island’s local bands.

A Jazz & Poetry Evening will once again kick-off the festival on Thursday, June 4, 2009, with the romantic backdrop of Fort Oranje. Gabby Saleh and his quartet and the Cabacoa Trio, all local artists, pave the way for Denise Jannah, a Surinam/Dutch female vocalist who was the festival’s leading artist in 2004.

On June 5th and 6th, 2009, there are two main concerts which will be held at the Tipsy Seagull Restaurant, on the beach at the Plaza Resort Bonaire where The Monty Alexander Quartet, The Hans Dulfer band, Denise Jannah with a quartet from Curacao, Alfredo Naranga (Venezuela) will be joined by the ten-musician Latin Jazz Salsa Band, the Dikazz Group (Bonaire), and the Silver Bullet Steelband (Bonaire).

After each concert on these evenings, jam sessions with the festival musicians will begin at midnight at Sense, close to Plaza Resort for those who go on into the wee hours.

On Sunday, June 7th, 2009, there’s another event, back by popular demand: The exciting Jazz Brunch at Dive Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino presented by local and festival musicians.