Entertainment

Festival to Feature Performances by Robin Thicke, Common, Estelle, Jamie Foxx, Wayne Brady and Etana

Aruba is proud to announce the A-list musical lineup for the Ninth Annual Soul Beach Music Festival, taking place May 20-25, 2009. This year’s festival offers live performances by Grammy Award-winning singers/songwriters Robin Thicke and Common, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, music superstar Estelle, entertainer Wayne Brady and Caribbean favorite Etana.

The 2009 Soul Beach Music Festival falls over Memorial Day Weekend in Aruba’s sun-kissed paradise, with five-days of power-packed events. Soul music fans from around the world can take part in nightclub festivities, sizzling beach parties and live concerts.

“This year’s line-up for Aruba’s Soul Beach Music Festival features truly remarkable and talented performers,” said Edison Briesen, Minister of Tourism and Transportation for the Aruba Tourism Authority. “Aruba looks forward to once again welcoming thousands of visitors from around the globe to attend one of the most anticipated musical events of the year.”

The Soul Beach Music Festival’s full schedule of events and ticket pricing information can be accessed at www.soulbeach.net. Specialized vacations to Aruba during the Soul Beach Music Festival can be booked through www.aruba.com. Festival travel packages, including hotel accommodations, are being offered by Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino and Brickell Bay Beach Club.

About the Artists:

Musical icon Robin Thicke is known for his incredible voice, and award-winning songs such as “Lost Without You” which topped four Billboard charts simultaneously and pushed his way to double platinum status.
While superstar Common has been influencing the entertainment industry for over 16 years with seven albums, two Grammys and five major films, he has also found time to design a hat line and write three children’s books.

With her second album about to come out, Estelle has quickly taken over the international music scene. This London transport has already teamed up with industry greats such as Kanye West, to produce the hit song “American Boy.”

Jamie Foxx broke into the music world with his Oscar-winning portrayal of Ray Charles in the movie “Ray,” and also by teaming up with rap icon Kanye West on his number one single “Gold Digger.”

Another new voice performing in the Soul Beach Music Festival is Wayne Brady. This comic turned singer recently debuted his R&B album “A Long Time Coming” which earned him a Grammy nomination.

Etana, who is a native of Jamaica, debuted her first album last year, complete with sixteen tracks of her own original music.

Together, these artists will put on an once-in-a-lifetime musical festival on the pristine, white-sand beaches of Aruba.

Upper left: Jamie Foxx
Lower left: Robin Thicke

Please visit the website at www.moombabeach.com

April of this year is the eighth annual celebration of JAM, Jazz Appreciation Month, initiated by the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American history. It has become a worldwide movement by Jazz educators and on Aruba, Carlos Bislip jr. noted percussionist and teacher, instigated a series of jazz concerts and lectures during JAM after attending workshops with the International Association of Jazz educators in New York in 2006.

Carlos, who teaches percussion and harmony at the Rufo Wever School of Music in Oranjestad, is a graduate of the Berkley School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and holds a Master Degree. He has long been a proponent of Jazz on Aruba, staging concerts and lectures to stimulate interest in this creative and vital musical genre among young island musicians. A number of noted island musicians join him in this campaign of appreciation for the art form, and this year the Smithsonian theme for JAM is “Jazz Music; Masters and Messages”. The official JAM 2009 poster pays homage to jazz icon Benny Goodman, popularly known as “The King of Swing”.

JAM on Aruba will begin on April 2 and 3 at the Scol di Arte in San Nicolas with lectures for schoolchildren, and on Saturday, April 4, Scol di Arte will host a free concert with guest performer Placido Hazel and trio along with the SMRW Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Johnny Croes. Throughout the month of April, Carlos Bislip, accompanied by various noted musicians will be visiting island schools for a series of demonstrations and lectures. JAM will end with a free open-air concert in front of the Oranjestad library on Saturday, April 25.

Joining Carlos and his group for the concert will be Jazz Trio Footsteps, consisting of  Franky Janga, Rob Rijnhout, and Richard Holmond. Also on the playbill is the Carlos Bislip Collective, a quintet with guest performer Ronchy Matthews of Curaçao, the SMRW Ensemble, and three extremely talented young jazz musicians, Jamaal Baptiste, Michael Bremo, Jose Croeze, who have formed their own Jazz trio. The concert starts at 7 pm and has proven extremely popular. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this most creative of musical art forms and some of Aruba’s extremely talented musicians. All are welcome.

Due to the resorts’ picturesque tropical beachfront setting and variety of dining and activity choices, the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives has been selected as the official host venue of this year’s New England Patriots Cheerleaders exclusive swimsuit calendar shoot.

The photo shoot will be taking place from Friday April 24th to Friday May 1, 2009 at both the Divi Aruba and the Tamarijn Aruba, located just steps apart.  These all-inclusive, oceanfront sister properties are situated on a wide stretch of sandy beach facing the sparkling turquoise Caribbean Sea, making them an ideal backdrop for stunning photos.

Over the course of the week, the Cheerleaders will be participating in various activities throughout the resorts with fans who have booked their trip with TNT Vacations as part of the Celebrity Come Along program.  Activities range from beach volleyball to private dinners and cocktail parties to autograph sessions and special dance performances taking place within the resorts.  Anyone booking the trip will have full use of the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba’s 10 dining options, three swimming pools and wide range of activities available all inclusive to guests of both resorts.

Located just ten minutes from the airport and five minutes from Aruba’s capital city, Oranjestad, the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive resorts are set on beautiful Druif Beach, with a shopping arcade and the Alhambra Casino nearby.  Guests staying at either the AAA 3-Diamond Divi Aruba or the adjacent, oceanfront Tamarijn Aruba have use of all facilities and services of both properties.  All stays at the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba include all meals and snacks at a choice of ten dining options, unlimited beverages at seven bars, the use of three freshwater pools, a wide range of activities including non-motorized watersports and nightly entertainment and offer a variety of packages.  In addition, all guests may use the well-equipped Divi Winds Sports Center, which features a 30-foot outdoor rock-climbing wall on the beach.

This really sounds like “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” book II. A modern day version of Herman Wouk’s comedy about living out fantasies in the Caribbean, having quit the NY rat race. But this is no fiction. This is a true story, unfolding right here, as we speak.

Arias Schwartz, a visitor from NY, came on vacation to Aruba with his family staying at the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spa, when he left the resort on Palm Beach and went exploring, driving himself all over the island.

At a certain moment he paused, and found himself staring at Savaneta 123K, on the main road, past the Valero gas station. He was looking at an old fashioned tropical home on a sizeable piece of property.

When he went back to the resort he told Sherry, his art-teacher mom, he was buying the real estate. He was in love with a yet to be conceived project, taking shape in his head.

We visited Club Arias this week, it is almost ready to open as a ten-room boutique hotel clustered around a beautiful swimming pool, a rock wading-pond with Jacuzzi, waterfalls and a swim up bar.

The rooms of Club Arias are all impeccably decorated with the beds occupying center stage. They are showpieces, draped in clamboos and heaped with soft, odd-shaped pillows, colored-throws, summer down-comforters and 600-count cotton sheets in subdued floral designs which are tastefully reflected on the wall trims and on the carved cabinet doors, even on the light-switches, all hand-painted, you guessed, by art-teacher mom, Sherry.

Flory, Arias’ wife is the interior decorated. The diminutive gorgeous woman, has amazing taste, after all she married Arias.

Arias, the developer and builder extraordinaire, is coming down from an intense construction and design spree. His entrepreneurial spirit, his artistic drive and his courageous approach to life, gave Savaneta its first boutique hotel. It’s tremendous. Really something to be proud of.

Club Aria is visible from the main road, see the sign in our picture. It will be open for business in a few days. With a gorgeous garden, contemporary accommodations and a genuine Caribbean feel, it is a true escape and most suitable for a large family who wants to vacation together or a large, happy, group of friends.

This story submitted by Rona Coster-Kahan

Nine candidates to the Miss Aruba pageant met at Blue, Renaissance Aruba Resorts over cocktail last night. They have been rehearsing for the show at the Renaissance Convention Center on Saturday night and stopped in at the famous bar for a breather.

The local beauties mingled with guests and members of the jury in charge of selecting Miss Aruba 2008.

Renaissance Director of Food & Beverage John Grigg, the reigning Miss Aruba Tracey Nicholas and Miss World Boyura Martijn, as well as a former Miss Aruba Linda Scnog enjoyed the cocktails and the sunset before dinner at Aquarius Restaurant courtesy of Renaissance one of this year’s major sponsor and host hotel reports Rebecca Verschoor – Marval, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, PR & Marketing Communications Manager.

The elegant Crystal Theater sparkles with all the excitement of Las Vegas as the magnificent “Havana Dance” explodes on stage with a thrilling mix of Latin & Cuban music, colorful costumes and high energy, contemporary Cuban dance.

“Havana Dance” is the biggest stage production in the Caribbean, featuring Cuban dancers and entertainers directly from Havana.

The show delivers a purely Cuban spectacle, with a cast of 12 female ballerinas, 4 male dancers, 2 singers and 3 acrobats, performing a fresh program accompanied by live Cuban music performed on stage by a genuine Cuban orchestra, consisting of 5 professional Cuban musicians.

This live dance AND live music combination as seen in our pictures, is ‘first of its kind’ on the island.

While the greater part of the “Havana Dance” review enjoys predominantly Cuban flavor, the show is graced with a truly unique Caribbean choreography, and many tropical touches.

“Havana Dance” unfolds on a two-tiered stage, with entrances and exits to and off the arena at different heights, which presents a new visual concept. The custom-designed costumes are sensual, daring, colorful, and luxurious and set “Havana Dance” apart from any other cabaret.

Producer Steve Hudson who enjoyed an unprecedentedly-successful seven-year run with his previous “Let’s Go Latin” review, conceived and created an exciting and much-evolved new must-see spectacle.

Tickets for “Havana Dance” are US$ 49.- Children under 12 pay US$25

Tickets are available at the theater box office, Renaissance Aruba Resort, and can also be purchased at the concierge’s desk at the Renaissance Aruba Resort.

Other ticket vendors include the De Palm Tours and Pelican Adventure Activity Centers at the resorts. A special dinner & show package is also available in conjunction with the L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House for US$89.- per person.

For additional information and reservations call the Crystal Theatre at Tel.: 583 6000, ext. 6115, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. After 5 p.m., call tel.: 583 6000 ext. 6357.

Don’t miss an opportunity to be greatly entertained by the sizzle of “Havana Dance.”

A group of event planners from the US received a special welcome to Aruba, orchestrated with great attention to detail and fanfare by Eco Destination Management.

Over the next couple of days, from July 30th to Aug 3rd, the Aruba Convention Bureau, formerly known as Meet Aruba and its new, dynamic sales team, will be helping host the important planners at the Westin Aruba Resort, in conjunction with Aruba’s premier hospitality partners.

The group will be wined and dined, and shown the island’s fantastic ability to lavishly entertain and creatively pamper meetings, incentives conventions, exhibitions and conferences, big and small.

ECO DMS, gave the just-landed certified meeting professionals a taste of luxury with an airport arrival featuring Mojitos served on a red carpet and special transportation to their host hotel.

On Friday the group will be spending a magical, unforgettable night at Mr. Jazz, hosted by Eco Destination Management, says Ruben D. Mannes, Director of Sales & Marketing
ECO Destination Management Services of Aruba.

Opening night at the Crystal Casino exceeded all expectations as the stage filled with twenty-nine amazing performers when the long-awaited Havana Dance struck the first musical note and took the first dance step, at the show’s colorful debut at the Renaissance Aruba Resort.

The unique review featuring a live band, talented acrobats, a two-tiered stage, and fifteen show numbers with fifteen costume changes took off at 9 p.m. sharp, with a Havana Dance overture, concluding with a spectacular Cha-Cha-Cha.

Then the three famed acrobats invaded the stage for a display of muscle, balance and dexterity and set the tone for the return of the show’s singers interpreting the classic Besame Mucho and the contemporary Pintame.

Mid-program, the show also paid tribute to Cuban Folklore in particular and to Caribbean folklore in general by including a dazzling dance number evoking African tribal rituals and the worship of nature. The popular Bamboleiro, ignited the stage with contagious music and movement and led into the even more popular Conga potpourri and Guantaramera, just before the tremendous confetti and feather loaded finale.

With 250 costumes, more than 80 pairs of shoes, 100 headpieces and 8 scenery and stage changes, the cast from Varadero Cuba, under the choreographic direction of Graciella Biart and Artistic Direction of Jose Valdes Grillo and Julia Rodriguez, creates magic nightly, at the Crystal Theater.

Showtime: Monday through Saturday at 9 p.m.
Tickets: $49.00 - per person
Children under 12 pay $25.00
Dinner & show package at the L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House,
$89.00 - per person

Tickers are available at the theater box office, Renaissance Aruba Resort, at the concierge desk and at De Palm Tours and Pelican Adventure Activity Centers at your hotel.

For information and reservation call tel.: 583 6000 ext. 6115 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

After 5 p.m., call tel.: 583 6000 ext. 6357

HUDSON Productions Inc.