The Longest Running Jazz Fest in the Caribbean Celebrates 23 Years!
From October 25 – November 3, some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians will come together to jam on the stages of the longest running Jazz Fest in all of the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is a fun time in Cabarete and falls on Constitution Day weekend. Set around the country, it’s one of the biggest cultural events in the Caribbean. In this article, we’ll tell you about how Jazz Fest gives back to our local community, the vibe in Cabarete, and all the details for this years lineup.
FEDUJAZZ – Educational Foundation for Jazz Fest
FEDUJAZZ, a partner of the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival was established in 2012. Located in Cabarete, the educational foundation is just one of the many programs aimed to promote societal development for the youth of the Dominican Republic. The vision behind the Jazz Festival’s collaboration with FEDUJAZZ is to provide workshops with artists and thus an excellent music program for Dominican youth. We got this from their website:
“A Dominican student entering the public education system has less than a 10% chance of graduating from high school (United Nations [UN], 2005). Research has shown that children and adolescents are stimulated to improve their education and learning aptitude through music. Studies have proven that children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.”
Cabarete Is The Place To Be During the Constitution Day Weekend
Our beach transforms into a concert arena for the event. Always scheduled to fall on Constitution Day weekend, the Holiday itself is always observed on a Monday. Hence, a long weekend off work for locals. Long weekends are always busy for Cabarete as we’re a favorite vacation spot for Dominicans. Who can blame anyone for loving our beach side restaurants, nightclubs, water sports, and clean crystal blue waters?
The Lineup for the 2019 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival
The grand finale of the celebration is on Saturday and Sunday. Cabarete is always the closing location for the Festival that also sets its stage in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Sosua, Puerto Plata, and now Cap Cana.
The Cabarete main stage is set up in front of Pomodoro Pizza. The concert is free and anyone can enjoy it from the beach. To sit in front of the stage you can buy VIP tickets online.
Festival Date, Show Location, Country Dedication
Friday, October 25, 2019 – Santiago, Centro León, 8:00 pm
FEDUJAZZ Ensemble (DR)
Pengbian Sang and Retro Jazz (DR)
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble (USA)
Saturday, October 26, 2019 – Puerto Plata, UASD, Auditorium Rafael Solano, 6pm
Film Screening, Documentary “Solano” about the life and music of maestro Rafael Solano
Live music performance – Joshy and su 4 jazz (USA)
Friday, November 1, 2018 – Sosúa, Playa Alicia, 8pm
Berklee Global Jazz Institute (USA)
Nando Michelin (Uruguay / USA)
The Dominican Jazz Project (DR)
Saturday, November 2, 2019 – Cabarete, Cabarete Beach, 8pm
Josean Jacobo (DR)
Justin Kauflin Trio (USA)
Miguel Zenon (Puerto Rico)
Sunday, November 3, 2019 – Cabarete, Cabarete Beach, 8pm
Berklee Global Jazz Institute (USA)
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque (Canada/Cuba)
Jose Alberto El Canario (DR)