Morgan Heritage and Courtney Pine Join the LineUp
for the 16th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival
Two More World Class Musical Acts to Perform at the Festival’s ‘Sweet 16’ Anniversary
BASSETERRE (April 3, 2012) – St. Kitts announces that world-class musical acts Morgan Heritage and Courtney Pine will be performing at this year’s 16th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which will take place June 28-30, 2012. They are joining Roberta Flack and Damian Marley, who have already been announced as performers for the event.
“A mix of great musical acts in one incredible destination makes our festival an experience like no other,” said Mr. Faron Lawrence, Chairman of the Festival’s Executive Committee. “I have no doubt that the blending of Morgan Heritage and Courtney Pine, with their roots-like music styles and history of exhilarating performances, will reinforce the reputation of the St. Kitts Music Festival as the most diverse musical event in the Caribbean.”
Oftern referred to as “reggae royalty,” Morgan Heritage is more than just a legendary reggae band. They are known as a revolution, a family, a force of nature and a crew of five independent artists on an unsurpassed musical mission whenever they get together. Lukes, Una, Gramps, Mr. Mojo and Peter Morgan – all children of roots reggae icon Denroy Morgan – draw on new wave, punk, hip-hop, dancehall and R&B, but manage to ground all of their musical explorations in the sound that is in their blood: Roots Reggae.
That finely honed modern roots identity has made Morgan Heritage one of reggae’s most enduringly successful acts. The group is known for chart-topping hits such as “Don’t Haffi Dread,” “Reggae Bring Back Love,” “New Time, New Sign,” “Down By The River,” “Meskal Square,” “Jah Seed,” “Three In One,” “She’s Still Loving Me,” “A Man is Still A Man,” “Three In One,” “Your Best Friend,” “Tell Me How Come?” and “I’m Coming Home.”
Courtney Pine is one of the UK’s most celebrated and original saxophone musicians. He is also known to be a multi-instrumentalist who studied the clarinet and excels in playing the flute and keyboards. His most recent work has integrated modern British music like drum and bass and UK garage with contemporary jazz styles. Key to Pine’s success is his willingness to stretch the boundaries of his genre. He has, sometimes controversially, combined traditional acoustic jazz with reggae, soul, drum ‘n’ bass and afro-beat. Over the course of his career, Pine has covered Nirvana, played on the main stage at Glastonbury and appeared at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday concert at Wembley Stadium. He runs his own band and integrates many contemporary musicians in his performances.
Pine, who has been on the forefront of Britain’s jazz scene for the past 20 years, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Queen’s New Year Honours for services to jazz music.
Morgan Heritage and Courtney Pine will both take to the stage on Friday night, the second night of the three-night event. They are the most recent additions to the lineup for the 16th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which will be announced in its entirety in the coming weeks.
Now in its 16th consecutive year, the Festival attracts both locals and visitors alike. It features a wide range of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music. Past artists have included such prominent acts as John Legend, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, UB40’s Ali Campbell, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, The Commodores, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Chris Brown, Biggie Irie, Bunny Wailer and Lord Nelson.
On February 9, 2012, St. Kitts was named one of “5 Caribbean Islands to Discover Now” by MSNBC. It was also named one of the “Top 12 Spots that should be on your list for 2012” by Caribbean Travel + Life magazine and the island’s Brimstone Hill Fortress was named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today. As of summer 2011, the destination also ranks #1 on a list of the 16 Best Caribbean Vacations by US News & World Report. Last year, St. Kitts was named a top destination for 2011 by both AOL Travel and British Airways. Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.
For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn, visit www.stkittstourism.kn, or connect on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube.