Young performers took center stage in Castries as the Junior Jazz Festival returned for its fourth edition, drawing strong support and highlighting the depth of emerging talent in Saint Lucia.
Being held at Serenity Park on April 29 and 30, the two-day event forms part of the wider Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival and continues to serve as a platform for youth expression in music and performance.
Mayor of Castries Geraldine Lendor Gabriel said the festival is fulfilling its core purpose of nurturing creativity among young people.
“What Junior Jazz is doing is exactly what we wanted it to do, to bring out the young people, to make them showcase to the world what their talent is,” she stated.
“Arts and creativity is really in the domain of the young persons and so this stage is so important.”
She also pointed to added training opportunities that enhanced this year’s programme.
“What is good this year is that we had Boo Hinkson doing a special training for the participants. We also saw Robert Rennie doing some voice training as well,” she said.
Demand for participation has continued to grow, according to the Mayor, who acknowledged the challenges of accommodating all interested groups.
“The schools, the participants, the demand to come in… we do not like to turn anybody away but there is only that much we can do in two days,” she explained.
She added that increased parental involvement has been a positive development.
“We have seen a lot more of the parents coming in to support the youngsters when they do their training… and that is good. So, all of this is going across the society in a good way.”
Director of Junior Jazz Colin Weekes emphasized the broader significance of the event for national pride and cultural development.
“It means more for me that they are part of this, and people are seeing the young talent that Saint Lucia has,” he said. “We just want to know that we put on a good show that we are all proud of, that all of the world is proud of, that it is coming out of Saint Lucia.”
Weekes noted that organizers are focused on maintaining high standards as the festival grows.
“I think we have a benchmark to accomplish here, and I think that we are doing it with the atmosphere that we have, the grounds, the talent that we have on stage,” he added. “We just want to keep up the momentum.”
The continued expansion of Junior Jazz reflects a broader commitment to cultivating the island’s creative industries, with organizers and officials alike pointing to its role in shaping the next generation of cultural ambassadors.