SINT MAARTEN (SIMPSON BAY) – The 40th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta runs a full week of activities at the Regatta Village with performances from more than 20 local bands, dance groups, and DJs, which will undoubtedly bring some cultural flair to the event. The Village opens officially on Monday, March 2nd, at 6:00 PM and will close its doors on the 2020 edition on the evening of March 8th. Patrons to the event will find food and drinks, regatta merchandise, and a variety of other goods in the eco/art park. Headliners include international artists Tessellated, Grandmaster Flash, and Flo Rida.
Monday’s festivities will start with DJ Shine. “Light” takes the stage at 7pm, opening with their high energy Afro-Caribbean drum beats, lead by Soulymane. “Light” comprises of a large group of musicians, spear headed by our very own local Cultural icon, Clara Reyes. They will be adding an eclectic cultural flair to the opening night.
Tuesday’s schedule starts with performances from 12–2 PM by Sweet Pan Entertainment, which consists of 7 band members who enjoy performing a range of music including Reggae, Zouk, Hip Hop, Soca, RnB, and even some Jazz. You name it, and they can play it. Various food vendors will open their doors for the lunch crowd. Registration for the sailing side of the event officially opens its doors at 10 AM and will continue until 6 PM. Guests who are at the venue at 4 PM will enjoy an exceptional performance by the National Institute of the Arts (NIA), where they will showcase their Company with choreographies by teachers: Peggy Oulerich, Eola Ada (Beebee) and Kimberly Milan.
Additionally, the NIA Youth Orchestra will treat the crowd to a few selections of music. NIA established St. Maarten’s first Youth Orchestra with the help of the Dutch Disaster Fund, and for the past two years the Institute has been under the direction of Arlene Halley.
The mission of the National Institute of Arts (NIA) is to provide national and internationally recognized interdisciplinary art education inspired by the principals of nation-building. Serving the community of St. Maarten, NIA’s purpose is to provide Art education to the highest standard of excellence for amateur and professional pursuit in a safe and nurturing environment. The Institute will engage in research, documentation, preserving, and safeguarding the tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as contemporary legacy.
The evening will continue after NIA’s performance with a Pub Quiz organized by the Sint Maarten Yacht Club. Music by “Dale Buchan” will keep the Quiz entertained as teams strive to come out on top. Australian singer-songwriter Dale Buchan has performed around the world as an original and cover artist for over ten years. Formally of successful Australian pop/rock duo The Firetree, Dale has branched out on his own, performing his one-person show to captive audiences in the US, Europe, and now St. Maarten. His energetic, raw talent with acoustic guitar, harmonica, and unique “foot drums” accompany his unmatched voice over a diverse range of musical styles to bring your favorite songs to life.
Registration will continue on Wednesday, March 4th, and those who were unable to see performances by Sweet Pan Entertainment and NIA will have a second chance to watch as they entertain the crowd. Performances will take place between 12 and 6 PM. The Village will be alive and well with food, drinks, art, and vendors all open to the public. Music will be brought to you by Avocado Pie. Annabelle and Virginie comprise the local band Avocado Pie and regularly perform across various bars and restaurants on the French side. Their unique style of mixing multiple songs will entertain as will their covers of all the latest chart-topping hits.
The actual regatta racing begins on Thursday morning, and all eyes will be out on the water, where more than 150 boats will cross the start line. The Village will welcome racers and the public as of 4 PM with a show by Kainos. The band is a duo of original covers and acoustic compositions. Marie-Stella’s warm voice, enveloped in soul, pop and mixed music, lands on François’ groove and his subtle guitar arrangements. Let the charm act… with these two sensitive musicians whose complicity is striking! DJ Em will be your host DJ for the night, and at 9 PM, he will welcome to the stage DJ SIW’ROO, DJ Eagle, DJ EM, and DJ King Kembe as they face off for a DJ Spin-Off. Two teams will be battling against each other as they select songs from different genres of music. The audience will vote on which DJ wins each spin-off. The winning team gets to carry the title of DJ Spin-Off winner until the next regatta.
The final act for the evening will be Grandmaster Flash. Considered to be a DJ pioneer, he developed and mastered three Innovating techniques that are still used today by DJs around the world. As the unofficial voice of the ’70s, his electrical performance is the perfect way to start the 40 years of celebrations the event has planned.
Friday, March 6th will see more racing on the water and more parties in the Village! Starting with Erno York, fondly known as “Young Dow”. This 6-time St. Maarten Junior Calypso King is a full time musician born and raised on Dutch St. Maarten.
He will be performing alongside the “Skillful Band” a new young energetic but extremely versatile Band on the music scene, guaranteed to get your hips swinging when they play your favorite pop, reggae and soca hits. Get ready for the ultimate party experience.
Host DJ for the night will be none other than DJ Prince and he will entertain the crowd in between the various acts that will take the stage. Betty V will start the night off at 9 PM and will be performing with Connis Vanterpool on sax and Vybzz Band. Betti V is very excited and looking forward to finally releasing the Official Music Video for her single Hold On. The night will then move on to performances from Asher Otto & Itchy Feet, and the final performance of the night will be by King Rumer & De Ban. As an international performing artist, singer, songwriter, entertainer, radio host, brand ambassador, and businessman, King Rumer started as a rapper who always had a love for carnival. King Rumer made the leap of faith from Hip-Hop to Soca in 2016. This change stemmed from the overwhelming love and influence Carnival and Soca has had on him. In 2020 King Rumer will be going on his own European Tour, bringing Soca to the world.
The weekend program offers up even more musical talent from across the Caribbean, starting with One Blood Band from Saba. This unique group consists of 5members. They are a Reggae band playing their own blend of original reggae as well as sounds of funk, Soca, and soul music.
The band formed in 2010 with a collection of kids and their father, and they have now grown to the respectful ages of 13-19 years old. Today the band has an additional member to round out the group. This performance starts off the Saturday schedule for the evening, and Host DJ for the night, DJ Mixmaster Pauly, will introduce the evenings’ acts. Youth Waves, a regular to the regatta stage, will perform from 8:15–9:30 PM and will open up the night for Tessellated and Inner Circle.
The final day of the event will have the Mighty Dow warm up the crowd at 3 PM. Prizegiving for all the participants will take place from 6–8 PM, after which Cutcreator DJ Outkast will take to the decks to get everyone in the mood for the final night of music and entertainment. Music by Tanya Michelle and What the Funk will happen between 8:30 and 10:00, and then it is time for the main performance by international artist FLO RIDA.
The Regatta Village is open daily with food and drinks available for lunch and dinner. A variety of food vendors will be offering up delectable dishes for the event, and patrons are encouraged to come and sample the various options. The eco/art park will host a variety of eco-friendly businesses and various local artists. For more event information, you are encouraged to visit the website or follow the regatta social media channels where updates will be made daily.
Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com-k2&view=item&id=30043:st-maarten-heineken-regatta-schedule-overflows-with-local-talents-across-a-variety-of-music-genres&Itemid=450
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