3 days ago
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On Sunday, March 30, the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF) will mark its 30th anniversary with an extraordinary celebration of music and culture at the Shell Bandstand, Hope Botanical Gardens, St Andrew. Starting with a musical prelude at 2:30 p.m. and the main event from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., A Moment of Music with Luther Francois & Friends will be a free concert celebrating the rich musical ties between Jamaica and St Lucia.
Held under the patronage of St Lucian Honorary Consul to Jamaica Vitus T. Evans, the concert will showcase a stellar line-up of musical legends and emerging talents. The highlight of the evening will be a performance by St Lucian National Hero and internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist Luther Francois, backed by the exceptional pianist Orville Hammond, and the E-Park Big Band under the direction of its founder, renowned composer and musical director Peter Ashbourne.
This event promises to be a powerful tribute to the shared cultural heritage and enduring friendship between both countries. Attendees are encouraged to bring their pillows, chairs, or blankets to relax on the lawn and enjoy this open-air live celebration of Caribbean music and unity. Alongside Luther Francois, the line-up will include some of Jamaica’s most celebrated musicians including Dean Fraser, Boris Gardiner, Duane Stephenson, Janine Jkuhl, Orville Hammond, Charmaine Limonius, Marjorie Whylie, and cultural icon Rosina Christina Moder.
The public will also have the option to enjoy the concert remotely through live broadcasts on the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica, and Music Unites Jamaica Foundation YouTube channels.
In addition to the concert, Luther Francois will lead jazz and woodwind workshops at The Alpha School of Music, the Philip Sherlock Centre, at The University of the West Indies in Mona, as well as at his alma mater, the School of Music at the Edna Manley College Visual and Performing Arts, where he studied in the late 1970s under the tutelage of Melba Liston, Marjorie Whylie, and Peter Ashbourne.
In exchange, acclaimed Jamaican composer and conductor Peter Ashbourne will be visiting St Lucia, where he will lead conducting and ensemble workshops from April 7 to 13 to help nurture the country’s musical talent, working with the Royal Police Band, The National String Orchestra, and the St Joseph the Worker Youth Orchestra.
The concert is sponsored and endorsed by Evans; InterCaribbean Airways; S Hotel-Kingston; Alternative Music; Atlas Protection Group; the Jamaica Tourist Board; the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; Tuff Gong International; Hope Botanical Gardens; TAC Printing; FESCO-FYC Water; Jacobs Agriculture; Bridget Sandals; Visual Tech Solutions; the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica; the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and Whatz Up New York.
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