Tag Archives: Music

St. Thomas Iggies at Dusk
Anguilla, Aruba, Caribbean, Eat, St. Kitts, Trip Ideas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Five of the Caribbean’s Best Beach Bars for Live Music

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No island experience is complete without at least one night of we-be-jamming. And the best nights happen when you find just the right mix of atmosphere, energy, potent cocktails and bands so lively that you can’t sit down. We traveled, listened in and danced all night to find the best Caribbean joints delivering colorful atmosphere, good crowds and, of course, live music that keeps you in the party spirit until the wee hours. Read on to rock on.

Dune Preserve on Anguilla

Ladies, watch out: Bankie Banx is the famous founder of this open-air reggae joint on Anguilla, but it’s his son, Omari, who’s the main act now—and his looks are every bit as luscious as his voice. The wooden boat-like venue at Rendezvous Bay is cozy. Every seat is a good seat for watching the acts and the impromptu dancing happening in the aisles and in front of the stage. During the day, the beachside bar crowd is mostly tourists— many straight off cruise ships—but at night, it’s a mix of locals and visitors of all ages.

MooMba Beach Bar on Aruba

Dance with your feet in the sand at Aruba’s Palm Beach hot spot. The lineup of local acts playing Friday and Sunday nights constantly changes, but it’s within a category the bartenders jokingly call tropical rock. The scene here starts early, typically around 7 p.m., so you’ll find a more family friendly crowd. But that doesn’t mean the party is tame. Two bars—one big one under the restaurant’s large thatched roof and one out in the sand— make sure you always have a cold one to keep you in the mood to shake it.

Fort Christian Brew Pub on St. Croix

This dockside, open-air venue sees the biggest crowds on St. Patrick’s Day when they bring in five bands to keep the crowd boogieing all day. During high season, they offer live music four nights a week, including Friday and Saturday. Their regular acts include the one-man band of Kurt Schindler, whose music is a blend of calypso and reggae, and DJ Cypha, who spins his own mix of reggae and rap. Expect high energy from the crowd that’s mostly twenty-somethings off duty from the tourism industry. Earlier in the night, you’ll see a wider range of folks who come in for the five beers crafted on site.

Iggies Beach Bar on St. Thomas

Every night of the year, this restaurant, part of Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, serves up live music right at the water’s edge. Wednesday is carnival night with steel-pan calypso music and moko jumbies—masked dancers on stilts traditionally believed to ward away spirits. Sunday sees the all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet, and any night is a good night to try the VooDoo Juice. Iggies is popular with visiting families thanks to the quick delivery of conch fritters, sliders and other island-y pub grub. Find the twenty-something set at the joint’s sand volleyball courts.

Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack, St. Kitts

Frigate Bay on St. Kitts is the place to be Friday night. Pretty much everyone looking to party—the expat community, locals and college kids—flocks to this beachside joint with live music. You’ll hear what’s known as soca music: a mix of calypso, soul and funk. Also, on Thursday, the beachside joint hosts bonfires, and Saturday, it’s karaoke night.

Rebel Salute, St. Ann, Jamaica music festivals
Caribbean, Jamaica, Play, Trip Ideas

Jamaica Music Festivals

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Anywhere you go in Jamaica- from urban-jungle Kingston to laid-back Negril, from sumptuous resort to humble roadside rum shack-one thing is a constant: that beat. It’s reggae, of course, on the island that invented it, making it blissfully impossible to enjoy a non-musical Jamaican holiday. To really up the reggae ante, though, visit the island during one of its annual music festivals and get lost in the glorious riddim.

Jamaica Jazz & Blues (January, Trelawny)

This blockbuster festival has a bit of blues, a decent dose of jazz and a good measure of contemporary and classic R&B—all courtesy of international artists. But it also delivers plenty of local talent: reggae artists performing extra-smooth sets, jazzing up their style and kicking it up with extra flair for an audience that’s come from as far as Japan and as near as the tony suburbs of Kingston. In past years this fest has hosted big- name acts, ranging from Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross and Celine Dion to the Jamaican pop star Shaggy and the reggae crooner Maxi Priest.

Rebel Salute (January, St. Ann)

Do you like to praise Jah with your music? Drink in conscious lyrics? Sway to classic reggae rhythms? Then this is the festival for you. It was launched by local artist Tony Rebel as a one-day homage to roots reggae—a subgenre of reggae and the direct descendent of Marley and co.—and is now a two-day affair, with a lineup showcasing the best of today’s and yesterday’s Jamaican music scene. No alcohol or meat is served, but there are plenty of vendors selling ital—read: Rastafarian-friendly delicacies, such as vegetarian food and wine made from roots and spices.

Bacchanal Jamaica (April, Kingston)

Carnival time in Jamaica is all about being TrinJamaican—a lively fusion of Trinidad-style soca music events and uber- Jamaican reggae ones. Fetes and a grand street parade are held across Kingston, just as one would find in Trinidad’s famous bacchanal. There are even “socacise” events, which turn working out into a fabulous shindig. But the birthplace of reggae music serves up plenty of hometown rhythms along with the soca jams, concerts, all-inclusive fetes and more.

Reggae Sumfest (July, Montego Bay)

If you’re a diehard reggae fan, this is the be-all-and-end-all of Jamaican music shows, and it’s held right in the heart of the music’s mecca. If you’re a casual listener, Sumfest will convert you into that diehard fan. Since 1992 this festival has attracted tens of thousands to a colossal field for performances by all the relevant names in reggae and its younger, hip-hop-flavored offspring, dancehall; at least a couple of big-deal hip-hop and R&B acts are also thrown in for good measure. Get your stamina up beforehand. For three nights the shows wrap up well after sunrise, so devote an extra week on the beach to recovery time.

The Reggae Marathon and Half Marathon (December, Negril)

Talk about an inspiring fitness soundtrack: This certified running event—set on the glorious white-sand beaches and rugged cliffs that make up tourist-friendly Negril—has reggae at the heart of it. The whole event is, really, a grand reggae party, with roadside DJs spinning the latest tunes and the classic oldies. At a Victory Party and Village Bash, runners can celebrate themselves by dancing the night away.