CaribPR Wire

CARIBPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 22, 2009: It will be a Grammy Affair at the Caribbean`s best musical festival this January – the 2010 Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival – as acts like Gladys Knight, Kenneth `Babyface` Edmonds, Billy Ocean, Erykah Badu, Third World and The Whispers, take to the main stage in Trelawny, Jamaica.

 The line-up of the 14^th staging of the annual event recently expanded with the addition of multiple Grammy-winners, `Babyface` and Erykah Badu.

 Babyface will take to the stage on Thursday January 28^th at The Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny along with The Whispers, Joss Stone, Monty Alexander and Joe Roy Jackson.  Babyface has won over 10 Grammys for hits like `Two Occasions,` `Never Keeping Secrets` and `For The Cool In You.`

On Friday, January 29^th, fans can get ready for Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Machel Montano, Robin Banks and the Queens Project – featuring Tamia, Kelly Price and Deborah Cox.  Badu is sure to thrill the Jamaican audience with hits like `Tyrone,` `Bag Lady` and `Didn`t Cha Know?` while Ocean, Montano and the Queens Project are sure to keep things jumping.

The festival wraps up on Saturday January 30^th with the Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight along with Third World, Hall & Oates, Jon Secada and Marion Hall.

The addition of two top tier acts was precipitated by the unavailability of Jennifer Hudson for the Festival. Hudson was forced to cancel her confirmed appearance to accept an invitation from senior music executive Clive Davis to perform at the Grammy Awards.

`The date for the Grammy Awards had to be moved up, due to the Winter Olympics,` explained Festival Executive Producer Walter Elmore. `Changes in schedules are sometimes unavoidable, but they are also opportunities,` Elmore said of the revised line-up.

 In a statement, her representatives indicated that, `Jennifer is very much looking forward to performing at next year`s festival as she is unable to perform for the 2010 event due to scheduling conflict.`

 The 2010 staging of the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival will be a seven-day long celebration of The Art of Music that will see the North Coast engulfed in the awesome sights and sounds of the Turn Key Productions event from January 24-30.

 Jamaica Jazz festival officials are urging all music fans in the U.S., U.K. and Canada to give themselves an early Christmas gift now by booking a package to the festival to experience the sights, sounds and magic of sunny Jamaica, West Indies.

Hotel rates are available from as low as US$46 per person or US$92 for single occupancy and most hotels will offer shuttle service to the venue. Tickets and packages are available at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com or by calling your favorite travel agent. 

 Jamaica Jazz since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. It has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica.  International artistes that have performed at the festival include Diana Ross, Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Kool & the Gang, Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu and Michael Bolton among others. 

This year the festival is again being presented by key title sponsor, the Jamaica Tourist Board. Other sponsors include Air Jamaica, Iberostar, Rose Hall Resort, CVM TV and The Gleaner Company among others.