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 History of the Festival
The Jamaica Ocho Rios Jazz Festival started in 1991 as an experimental
one-day event called at the time The Ocho Rios "Mini" Jazz Festival.
It was produced and directed by Musician/Journalist Sonny
Bradshaw in an effort to redefine the Jamaican musical landscape and enhance
the Tourism product by providing an entertainment atmosphere that whole families
could share and enjoy. With that in mind, "Father's Day" was chosen
for the event, Carib Inn Beach (Ocho Rios) the venue and the "Greatest Names
in Jamaican Jazz" the byline.
In three years the festival grew from one to eight days and became
the Caribbean's complete jazz vacation, featuring the greatest names in Jamaican
Jazz as well as the very best of international fare. It boasts a Youth Programme,
daily free concerts, a large-scale Photo Exhibition and events large and small
going on simultaneously all over the Island--Kingston, Montego Bay, Negril, Runaway
Bay--Ocho Rios. It has established a "Jazz Hall
of Fame" recognising those Jamaican and Caribbean Musicians who have
distinguished themselves internationally while contributing to the development
of the art form.
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