CaribPR Wire

CaribPR Wire, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Jan. 25, 2010: The 2010 Jamaica Jazz And Blues festival kicked off its inaugural week of performances Sunday evening, January 24, with Roy Ayers and Tony Greene at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Kingston performance marked the first time in the event’s 14-year history that TurnKey Productions, producers of the annual event, has taken the show on the road and extended the event to an entire week-long focus on Jamaica.

The festival moves back to Montego Bay tonight at the Sunset Jamaica Grande with performances from reggae great, Maxi Priest along with Joe Roy Jackson and Ayers. On Tuesday night, Jan. 26^th, the festival shifts to the Blue Beat Jazz Bar, Montego Bay with a number of performances. On Wednesday night, get ready for the party at Iberostar, Montego Bay with Jon Secada, Robin Banks and Kathy Brown.

On Thursday night, Jan. 28^th, the focus will shift to the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival’s new main stage at the Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny where Kenneth `Babyface` Edmonds, The Whispers, Joss Stone, Monty Alexander and Joe Roy Jackson are set to open the 14^th year set.

On Friday night, Jan. 29^th, Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Machel Montano, Robin Banks, Queens Project – Tamia, Kelly Price and Deborah Cox will thrill the thousands of fans who have already bought tickets to the festival.

On Saturday, Jan. 30^th, the curtains will come down with Gladys Knight, Third World, Hall & Oates, Jon Secada and Marion Hall.

Executive Producer of the festival, Walter Elmore is very upbeat about the facilities at the new home of Jazz and Blues, insisting that fans of the main event will not have to sit in stadium seats for the festival but as at the Aqueduct at Rose Hall in Montego Bay, fans will be able to sit or stand on the field under the stars and soak in the many extraordinary performances.

 “All of the focus has been on transforming the in-field of the stadium to create the intimacy and mystique that is undoubtedly Jamaica Jazz & Blues,” said Elmore. “It will not be a stadium-style performance but definitely an upfront and personal experience as our loyal fans remain our primary focus and we are dedicated to ensuring we continue to providing the unparalleled experience that has made us the number one musical event across the Caribbean.”

“The venue has a wonderful ambience all by itself,” he added. “The view from here is spectacular of the north coast of Jamaica, and Falmouth, and you can see them building the new cruise ship pier. We are creating a very similar ambience that we had at Rose Hall and there will be ample parking.”
Meanwhile, moved by the recent tragedy in neighbouring Haiti, TurnKey Productions, producers of the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, have introduced a food relief programme to assist the victims of the earthquake.

Working with local agencies, TurnKey will collect and package non-perishable food items from patrons attending the annual festival for delivery to the impoverished nation. 

The annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, the Caribbean’s best musical event, has become synonymous with the culture of Jamaica and since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica.

 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, Link Up Group, Jamrock Magazine and The Gleaner Company among others.

 Tickets and packages are available at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ — HBO Latin America Group (LAG) and Flow, Jamaica’s Broadband Company, formally announced today that both Companies have signed an agreement for the transmission of the HBO LAG channels to be broadcast in Jamaica at a media reception held in Kingston.

    Under the Agreement, Flow has already started to re-broadcast the HBO package developed for this region, which includes channels such as HBO, HBO Plus, HBO Family, Cinemax, Max Prime, HBO HD, and the Warner Channel, among others.  As part of the agreement, Flow customers are able to enjoy a

“free-view” until January 31. Starting February 1st, viewers will be able to choose and subscribe to their favorite HBO channels to see original series, movies and sporting events.

    “HBO Latin America is very enthusiastic about the signing of a new and long-lasting agreement with Flow and its subscribers. After weeks of negotiating with us, Flow is making sure that Jamaican viewers enjoy Premium programming that includes the acclaimed original series True Blood, Entourage and Hung,” said Javier Figueras, Sales Vice President, HBO Latin America Group. “We both share the mission to deliver the most innovative shows in the best technology available to the market.”

    Michele English, Flow’s President and Chief Operating Officer, was also happy with the details of the Agreement. “At Flow we continue to work towards bringing the best programming and most innovative digital cable features to Jamaica,” she said. “This Agreement with HBO LAG is another step in ensuring that our customers can access a wide variety of packages that they want to see at the price point that they want to spend.” 

    As such, according to the terms of the Agreement with HBO LAG, Flow will offer eleven HBO channels in seven different package options.  Flow customers who choose to add HBO to their lineup will begin paying for these channels in February.  “We have organized the packages so customers will make the ultimate decision about what they want to watch,” said English. “Flow is the only company that allows customers this level of choice and we will continue to search for ways to ensure that our customers avail themselves of the best value cable options.” 

   The HBO packages include:

    — HBO Basic package: HBO Caribbean, HBO East, HBO Plus East and HBO Family East;

    — HBO Premium Package: HBO Caribbean, HBO East, HBO Plus East, HBO Family East, Cinemax East, Cinemax West, Max Prime East, Max Prime West;

    — Cinemax Package: Cinemax East, Cinemax West, Max Prime East, Max Prime West;

    — Cable Your Way/Al La Carte: HBO Caribbean, HBO Family

    — Part of Flow Watch Basic and Flow Watch Premium packages: Warner TV;

    — Part of Flow Watch Ultimate package: HBO Caribbean, HBO East, HBO Plus East, HBO Family East, Cinemax East, Cinemax West, Max Prime East, Max Prime West; and

    — HBO HD options available with HBO Basic and HBO Premium packages

    Flow led the industry as the first cable operator in Jamaica to enter HBO Latin America’s licensing regulation process, and was also the first to make High-Definition technology available in Premium television. 

  About HBO Latin America Group

    HBO Latin America Group(SM) is a group of companies affiliated to Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., and Ole Communications Group. The HBO Latin America Group(SM) leading companies operate, manage and own cable and satellite programming services in the Region including the signals of HBO, HBO Plus, HBO Family, HBO Caribbean, HBO HD, HBO On Demand, Cinemax, Max Prime, A&E, Animax, AXN, E! Entertainment Television, Sony Entertainment Television, The Biography Channel, The History Channel and Warner Channel.

    About FLOW

    With just three years since its entry into Jamaica, Flow has already made an indelible impact on the local telecommunications industry placing Jamaica as a regional industry leader for data connectivity and innovative digital products. With its dynamic triple play of services — digital cable TV, digital landline and blazing speed Internet, Flow is helping to build a tech savvy, digital, knowledge-based society as Jamaicans forges ahead in keeping apace with the latest global technological trends.

    Flow has made a significant commitment to Jamaica, investing over US$200 million (J$18 billion), to date; in, building an island wide all digital infrastructure, developing human resources and enhancing digital education in schools as part of the company’s social development programme.  Jamaica is now the only country in the region with a direct undersea fibre-optic connection to the United States and South America as Flow via its express, direct, network system to Boca in Florida and Cartagena in Colombia.  The record investment in the undersea system also provides Jamaica with unprecedented capacity, resiliency, redundancy and reliability for broadband data communications.

    Flow is also demonstrating excellence in corporate social responsibility by supporting enhanced learning in schools via free internet and educational cable programmes, mentoring and youth development activities with the Rotary Club in communities across Jamaica and investments to athletic developments in Jamaica via a partnership with the JAAA.  Flow also sponsored the National Champion’s Cup football Competition, National Basketball League and is now one of the major sponsors of the national basketball team.

 SOURCE  HBO Latin America

    -0-                             01/18/2010

CONTACT: Kari Perez of HBO Latin America, +1-305-648-8942,

[email protected]; or Denise Williams of Flow, Manager, Public Relations,

+1-876-620-3232 (SL), +1-876-564-0576 (m), [email protected] 

CONTACT: Kari Perez of HBO Latin America, +1-305-648-8942,  [email protected]; or Denise Williams of Flow, Manager, Public Relations, +1-876-620-3232 (SL), +1-876-564-0576 (m), [email protected]

CARIBPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 10, 2010:  The countdown has begun to the Caribbean’s best music festival – Jamaica Jazz & Blues – which is set to wrap up for three nights on the field of the Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny, just 19 km east of its former home in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Turnkey Productions, producers of the annual festival, says plans are well under day to transform the inner field of the stadium into the phenomenal experience that is associated with Jamaica Jazz & Blues annually.

Walter Elmore, executive producer of the festival and founder of Turnkey Productions, insists that fans of the main event will not have to sit in stadium seats for the festival but as at the Aqueduct at Rose Hall in Montego Bay, fans will be able to sit or stand on the field under the stars and soak in the many extraordinary performances.

“All of the focus is currently on transforming the in-field of the stadium to create the intimacy and mystique that is undoubtedly Jamaica Jazz & Blues,” said Elmore. “It will not be a stadium-style performance but definitely an upfront and personal experience as our loyal fans remain our primary focus and we are dedicated to ensuring we continue to providing the unparalleled experience that has made us the number one musical event across the Caribbean.”

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.

The event kicks off on Sunday, January 24^th with Jazz in the Gardens at the Jamaica Pegasus, Kingston, featuring Roy Ayers and Tony Greene from 8-11 p.m.  The line-up of the 14^th staging of the annual includes top Grammy winning acts like Gladys Knight, Kenneth `Babyface` Edmonds, Billy Ocean, Erykah Badu, Third World and The Whispers.

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. 

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. 

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 annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival will be held from January 24-30, 2010 in Jamaica. Jamaica Jazz since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica.

Jamaica Jazz festival officials are urging all music fans in the U.S., U.K. and Canada to book last minute package to the festival now to experience the sights, sounds and magic of sunny Jamaica, West Indies. Tickets and packages are available at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com or by calling your favorite travel agent. 

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.

 SOURCE: CaribPR Wire

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, FL, Weds. Jan. 6, 2010: Jazz musician, Jon Saxx and his band, the Irresistible Journey, on Tuesday night walked away the winner of the 2010 South Florida Jamaica Jazz Fest Quest.

 Saxx and his group were last night declared the unanimous winner of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival amateur music contest before a packed house at the Ginger Bay Cafe in downtown Hollywood Florida.

 Jon Saxx and the Irresistible Journey beat out five other bands to win the annual talent search competition and the chance to be flown to Jamaica later this month to perform in the birth place of reggae legend Bob Marley.

 Judges Willie Stewart, an original drummer of the famed group, Third World;  Joy Schaaffe, of Air Jamaica; Karlene Shakes of the Jamaica Tourist Board;Noel Jones of Ginger Bay Café and Lukee Chung of Frame by Frame and Island Stylee.com agreed with the audience that Saxx and his band performed phenomenally.

 Jon Saxx and the Irresistible Journey will perform at the Caribbean’s best music festival, the 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Trelawny, Jamaica between January 24 and 30, 2010.

 Saxx was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering.

He has been voted Best Local Jazz Artist in South Florida by Miami New Times in 2008 and has performed with Najee, Montell Jordan, Howard Hewitt and at the Monthly National Anthem Performances for the Miami Heat.

Other competitors of the Jamaica Jazz Fest Quest South Florida on January 6th included Saxx  Kehv, the prince of reggae soul; Soul Stank, The Kirk Green Project, Larry Dogg and Da band and Narda “Nadiva” Malcolm.

 Jamaica Jazz Fest Quest is part of the Art of Music segment pushed by Turnkey Productions, the producers of the annual Jamaica Jazz Festival, as a way to help spotlight up and coming musical talent and assist possibly in getting them their big break in the music industry.

 The annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival will be held from January 24-30, 2010 in Jamaica.

 The festival has become synonymous with the culture of Jamaica and will feature not just local performance but a slew of international acts including multiple award winners Gladys Knight, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Joe Roy Jackson, Kelly Price, Tamia, Deborah Cox, Hall and Oats, Jon Secada, Monty Alexander, Roy Ayers, Third World, Machel Montano HD, Marion Hall, and the Max Klezmer Band.

 Jamaica Jazz since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica.

 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, Link Up Group, Jamrock Magazine and The Gleaner Company among others.

 Tickets and packages are available at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.

SOURCE: CaribPR Wire

CARIBPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 28, 2009: January 18, 2010 will be D-Day for the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Band Quest in New York City.

 Officials of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s best annual musical festival is set to host its New York City audition at SOB’s – 204 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4809 – from 7 p.m. this January to allow a lucky amateur musician the opportunity to perform at the prestigious event at the Greenfield Stadium, Trelawny, Jamaica.

 Musicians and bands will be selected to audition based on the best entries submitted at http://affiliate.kickapps.com/_BAND-QUEST-2010/group/106886/134639.html.

 The New York audition is being presented by Link Up Media Group, Jamrock Magazine and Turn Key Productions, producers of the annual festival.

 The winner will be flown to and hosted free of cost on the beautiful island of Jamaica and the chance to perform before thousands of fans in the birthplace of Bob Marley.

 “It was the next logical step for us and developing our Art of Music idea,” says Walter Elmore, head of TurnKey Productions. “Talented amateurs wishing to enter will have to visit the Festival’s savvy website and become a member of the JJ&B Fan Zone. With that membership, persons will be able to upload their music and performance clips.”

 The winner will be judged by a selection of qualified persons, selected by the Festival organizers and fan votes.

 A separate audition will be held in Florida from 7 p.m. on January 5, 2010  at the Ginger Bay Café , 1908 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL.

 The annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival will be held from January 24-30, 2010 in Jamaica.

 The festival has become synonymous with the culture of Jamaica and will feature not just local performance but a slew of international acts including multiple award winners Gladys Knight, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Erykah Badu, Billy Ocean, Joe Roy Jackson, Kelly Price, Tamia, Deborah Cox, Hall and Oats, Jon Secada, Monty Alexander, Roy Ayers, Third World, Machel Montano HD, Marion Hall, and the Max Klezmer Band.

 Jamaica Jazz since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica.

 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, Link Up Group, Jamrock Magazine and The Gleaner Company among others.

 Tickets and packages are available at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.

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.