NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) -- The emerging genre of "island pop" has enjoyed recent success with the music of Sean Kingston and Jason DeRulo, and now 22-year-old recording artist Iyaz, who grew up in the British Virgin Islands, has landed a hit single in the genre. "Replay," a light and catchy tune, is No. 13. read more...

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SALEM, Montserrat -- This weekend a most exciting Literary Festival is planned, spearheaded by the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies here in Montserrat. The Alliouagana Festival of the Word, running from Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th November, will feature a host of distinguished Caribbean authors. read more...

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HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Bermuda was all but a fright this Halloween weekend as thousands gathered to witness the all-star line-up of musicians and comedians who descended on Bermuda to honour the legendary Quincy Jones during the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival, which kicked off on Thursday night. read more...

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CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Oscar-winning actor and political activist Sean Penn may film a movie in Venezuela, according to the country's firebrand President Hugo Chavez. Penn "told me was very interested in a film project ... that would most likely be shot in part in Venezuela," Chavez. said. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA -- Melodious musique de jazz will fill the air once more this fall as the Caribbean`s longest running jazz festival, the Martinique Jazz Festival, will be held November 26 to December 6. The festival, which dates back to 1983, has long provided a showcase for local and international artists. read more...

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TORONTO, Jamaica (JIS) -- The 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will be expanded from three to seven days, from January 24 to 30, in Montego Bay, and feature top-notch entertainers, including Jennifer Hudson and Maxi Priest. Walter Elmore of Turnkey Productions made the announcement. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA -- It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Monday announced plans to publish the memoir of Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum musician Wyclef Jean. Jean will be writing the memoir with bestselling author and Rolling Stone writer Anthony Bozza. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA -- The spirit of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival returns to New York on Thursday, November 5, 2009 when the New York-based Caribbean-owned special events company, Antilia, Inc. hosts an evening of entertainment and elegance. The event will feature international soca king, Machel Montano. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- American artistes Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover inaugurated on Friday the Havana office of the traveling Caribbean film festival, which is celebrating its second edition. The opening of a venue of this project that includes traveling Caribbean film showcases dedicated to children and... read more...

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LOS ANGELES, USA (Reuters) -- An international lineup of Latin acts will join Colombian rocker Juanes at his controversial "Paz Sin Fronteras" (Peace Without Borders) concert, scheduled for Havana, Cuba, on September 20. The free concert will also feature Spanish pop act Miguel Bose. read more...

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LOS ANGELES, USA -- Legendary producer & composer Quincy Jones (or "Q" as he has come to be known amongst fans and friends alike) and boxing-turned-entertainment promoter Rock Newman this week unveiled the group of award-winning musicians that will assemble to perform with Quincy in Bermuda. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) -- Fidel Castro discussed the political "errors and horrors" of former US president George W Bush with filmaker Oliver Stone, the Cuban leader wrote Thursday. Castro, 83, in an editorial carried in official media, said he had a long talk with Oliver Stone about his film "W" about the Bush presidency. read more...

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ROSEAU, Dominica (OPM) -- In delivering the feature address at the media launch of the 13th Annual World Creole Music Festival on Tuesday evening, Minister for Tourism, Ian Douglas underscored the real significance of the World Creole Music Festival to Dominica. “The WCMF is not just a festival for us in Dominica… read more...

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HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Multi-Grammy winning producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones will be joined by a number of A-list artists, including Ne-Yo, for a performance at the 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival from October 29 - 31, 2009. Over the past 14 years, Bermuda has welcomed an unparalleled lineup. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- The Royal Ballet’s perfect performance of Manon, a classic of the 20th century, at the Karl Marx Theater in Havana, was rewarded by a standing ovation from the public. Cuba's leading dancer Carlos Acosta and Spanish Prima Ballerina Tamara Rojo took on the leading roles. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) --The Royal Ballet of London said it will perform in Havana on Tuesday for the first time in its 78-year-old history, featuring an appearance of its star Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta. The storied classical ballet company and its 96 dancers arrived late Friday in Cuba accompanied by 50 technicians. read more...

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) -- Jamaican reggae and dance hall star Bounty Killa was arrested on assault and other charges on Thursday for an altercation with an off-duty policeman nearly two years ago.
Police said Bounty Killa, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, could face a sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Since he swept into power 50 years ago, Cuba's Fidel Castro has been honoured in poems, movies and paintings and now in reggaeton, a form of music widely popular among Cuban youth but not island leaders. Cuban musician Yoandys "Baby" Lores presented his song "Creo"... read more...

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PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- A documentary depicting Suriname's role in WWII, premiered here during the time the annual "The Back Lot International Film Festival", came in for high praise from the movie go-ers and critics. Film maker Dave Edhard succeeded in crafting a historical picture with the crashes of two US aircraft. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) -- Patrons, local and visiting artistes and workers are being praised for the success of the 13th Annual St Kitts Music Festival. Minister of State for Tourism, Senator Richard “Ricky” Skerritt said Sunday that international artistes were in high praise of the progress and achievements. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- To record his next hit El Micha, one of the rising stars of Cuba's reggaeton music blending reggae, Latin and electronic rhythms, just has to knock on his neighbor's door. A microphone plugged into an old computer in an apartment in Reparto Electrico serves as the studio. read more...

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In a musical quilt laced with the textures of creative dance, funk, R & B, and pop, Michael Jackson, dead at 50, is enshrined as the world’s greatest superstar, by many, many miles. His musical legacy of 13 number one hits will continue to be marked by gratitude for decades to come. His songs are engraved in tributes of thankfulness. read more...

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CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -- Many of the finest performers in the classical music world are flocking to Venezuela to get a taste of the country's lauded youth music education system that teaches kids from gritty streets to play in orchestras. Over the next few weeks, a string of musicians will visit Caracas. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- On May 31, 3009, the Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari Inc. (ICAR Inc.) organized St Lucia's First Conscious Reggae Fun Festival. The event was hosted at the Vigie Multi-Purpose Sports Complex under the theme "Come Live the Experience, You got to be there." read more...

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BRADES, Montserrat (OCM) -- Montserrat is partnering with the Export Development Unit (EDU) of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) secretariat to design and develop a comprehensive action plan for audio-visual industries in the OECS member states. A team of two consultants... read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts -- Popular entertainer and multiple Emmy Award winning actor Keith David will be serving as special guest host for the 13th Annual St Kitts Music Festival, which will take place on the island from June 25-27, 2009. Keith David's career spans three decades and more than 75 films. read more...

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DIEGO MARTIN, Trinidad: Eddy Grant, Guyanese superstar and music legend is set to thrill cricket fans in South Africa and around the globe later this month when he headlines entertainment for the two semi-final and final matches of the Indian Premier League (DFL IPL) Cricket Tournament.
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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) -- Popular and much loved musical group, KC and the Sunshine Band, together with singer songwriter, Stephen Marley and Jamaican Legend, Mavado join a fantastic line up of popular Grammy Award winning artists including Regina Belle and T-Pain for the 13th annual music festival. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- At the recently held Jazz in the South hosted by Labowi Promotions in St Lucia, the Rhea Drakes Trio had the crowd singing and dancing along to their jazzy rhythms. The trio is lead by classical and jazz pianist, Rhea Drakes who is born of St Lucian and Barbadian parentage. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Mervyn Francois was regarded as one of the Caribbean’s best on the electric bass and the more difficult double bass guitar. The tall, slim extraordinary musician, who earned the sobriquet ‘Cisco’ during his years performing in Miami would have been celebrating his 53rd birthday on May 6. read more...

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- Premier of Nevis Joseph Parry informed a packed audience that, Nevis had celebrated many firsts in the Caribbean. He made the statement at the Nevis International Feature Film Festival (NIF3) which was launched at Coconut Grove Restaurant on Sunday, May 3, 2009. read more...

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CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Red Unlimited was started as Red International Carnival Band in 2005 by a group of young energetic musicians who are driven to provide carnival enthusiasts with the ultimate carnival experience. The band promises to continue to offer an unparalleled revelers’ experience. read more...

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LONDON, England (AFP) -- Grammy-winning British singer Amy Winehouse was taken to hospital during her prolonged holiday in St Lucia after fainting, her spokesman said. The 25-year-old "Back to Black" songstress was kept in for a night for observation after tests showed she was dehydrated. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) -- One of baseball's greatest showmen returns to the spotlight in a documentary film "The Lost Son of Havana" that infuses the drama of sport with the emotions surrounding Cuba's revolution, isolation and gradual re-opening to the United States. read more...

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) -- Reggae legend Bob Marley's "One Love" topped a list of Jamaica's 100 best songs over 50 years that was unveiled on Tuesday by a panel of musicians and cultural officials associated with the University of the West Indies. Marley had nine selections in the top 100. read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts -- If you are looking for a uniquely Caribbean experience, the annual St Kitts Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that has grown naturally out of the island’s deep-rooted musical heritage, and genuine hospitality traditions. This year the festival is taking place from June 25-27. read more...

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Trinidadians, as well as other Caribbean nationals, were disappointed that Dr Slinger Francisco – the Mighty Sparrow -- was not invited to participate in the cultural presentation on Friday evening at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad. read more...

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LONDON, England (AFP) -- A Venezuelan orchestra founded to help youngsters escape poverty won rave reviews in Britain on Wednesday after arriving in London. The Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra wowed audiences and critics with its first shows at London's Festival Hall on Tuesday. read more...

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- The Community Cohesion Foundation in partnership with The Nevis Cultural Development Foundation and Community Development (Nevis) will host the Nevis International First Feature Film Festival (NIF3). The festival will take place May 3-8, 2009 at various locations around Nevis. read more...

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RODNEY BAY VILLAGE, St Lucia -- St Lucian hotelier Feolla Chastanet is hopeful the 2009 Jazz festival, slated from May 2 to 10, will be a big draw for the traveling public with British Grammy-winning stars Amy Winehouse and Estelle recently added to a stellar line-up of musical greats, including Patti LaBelle. read more...

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