Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival – Caribbean

By: Tom Dwyer

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I’ve been to Bonaire a few times over the past decade, mostly for its great diving. Last summer I went to take in the third annual Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival. I was not disappointed. The festival was held from May 17 to May 20, in a number of locations around the island with the main concert at the Plaza Resort, a sprawling, five-star luxury resort with a panoramic view of the Caribbean. The Bonaire Jazz Foundation, made up of residents of the island, organized and produced the festival with the help of Heineken, its main sponsor.

The lineup of musicians from the United States, Europe, South America, other Caribbean islands and local bands made the festival a musical delight with Salsa, bebop, smooth jazz, calypso, Latin big band, reggae, tumba and just about every other jazz form you can think of. At every event I attended, the audience was appreciative of the quality of the music and the love of jazz the musicians showed.

Each act brought its own personal grove to the festival. A few of my favorites were Oswin ‘Chin’ Behilia, a well-known singer/songwriter from the island of Curacao. His songs often depict stories of social concerns for the poor around the world. His latest CD, Lirika Sosial, is a great mix of Latin/Salsa, and other Caribbean rhythms. His song, Mi Protesta, had the crowd up on its feet. Another local group that won over the festival was the Student Band Bonaire. This group of talented musicians from the local high school mixed their knowledge of standard jazz with local rhythms. The audience couldn’t get enough of them.

An American group I found really great was the W.E. S. Group, based in Washington D.C. The leader, William Smith, comes from a long line of African Americans involved in the early years of jazz. His grandfather owned a music publishing company in the early 1920’s that had clients like King Oliver and other early jazz greats. Smith’s playing is bold and it swings. He played a number of bop tunes, the way bop used to be played. His energy reminded me of Coltrane. Smith has been with such jazz greats as James Moody, Kenny Burrell and Wynton Marsalis. He also teaches music at a number of colleges in the States.

Another act that stood out for me was, Yuri Honing, the Dutch saxophone player. His trio, the Yuri Honing Trio, has performed around the world. The CD, Star Tracks, offers jazz arrangements of pop tunes that have become an international hit. His playing style ranges from improvised atonal to beautiful melodic riffs.

Each night after the festival, the party would continue in a local restaurant (Little Havana) in town. I went to one after hour’s jam session. The place was packed and musicians were still going at 3:00 in the morning when I made my exit.

Bonaire is located 30 miles from Curacao, 50 miles north of Venezuela and 86 miles east of Aruba. Its yearly average temperature is 82 Fahrenheit, its water temperature 80 Fahrenheit, with an arid, desert-like terrain. For a small island, it has a rich offering of lodging. From luxury resorts to intimate inns and bungalows, the Bonaire government (part of the Dutch Kingdom) believes that all development on the island should lift the quality of life for the Bonairean population. With eight inns and a ninth (an all inclusive Divi resort) to be built in 2009, Bonaire offers accommodations to meet every pocketbook, from hi-end vacationers to backpackers.

Bonaire is still about diving. I managed to get in a few during my jazz trip. The underwater paradise (and it is!) was as pristine as the first time I was there in 2001. There are more dive accommodations and resorts now, but the island still has the feel of a small town where everyone knows each other.

I stayed at the Sand Dollar and found the resort comfortable, and the diving and snorkeling fantastic. All rooms are situated to catch the trade winds; bedrooms are air-conditioned, kitchens are fully equipped. There is a restaurant on site for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My room was filled with island colors. To hear the ocean every morning when waking up, was paradise.

Located directly in front of the Sand Dollar is the Bari Reef, considered one of the finest reefs in the world, voted number one reef in the Caribbean. It harbors over 300 species of fish. Shore dives to the reef are one of the great sells of this resort. On this trip I noticed that more visitors were exploring the island by car, bike or hiking. I rented a bike to tour the island. Unlike other Caribbean islands, traffic jams don’t exist on Bonaire.

One of my favorite places is Lac Bay, an internationally known windsurfing beach. A lagoon with turquoise waters and the best winds around, it’s popular with windsurfers around the world. On my first trip to Bonaire, I managed to not only get up on the board, but to windsurf ten or so yards before hitting the water again. Windsurfing is harder then it looks. I decided not to try it this trip, but to spend time in Kralendijk, Bonaire’s largest town and capital.

There are more upscale restaurants and stores in town from the last time I was there. One of the best places to grab a beer and a sandwich is Karel’s Beach Bar, located on the waterfront. Its Tiki hut design is perched on stilts above the water. There were local jazz bands playing there during the jazz festival. What a great spot to watch the sun go down and see the cruise ships come in. Bonaire is very strict when it comes to large cruise ships. They are going for the smaller ships – 300 people or less – in order to preserve the reefs, and not over run the island with thousands of new people at one time.

On the last day of the jazz festival, a jazz brunch was held at the Harbor Village Beach Club, probably the best inn on the island. All the musicians and fans gathered one more time for a swinging jazz session and a true "thank you" from the residents of Bonaire. I came away impressed with the level of musicianship and the kindness of the local people. Not only do I think this event will flourish and become a major jazz festival, but the true beauty of Bonaire is that its government puts the people first – development and profit second.

A car is a must to get around the island. There are many rent-a-car businesses scattered around the island, as well as at the airport. Bonaire’s Flamingo International Airport has gone through a major overhaul over the past few years. Airlines that service Bonaire from the United States are American Airlines and American Eagle from San Juan. Continental Airlines offers a number of flights to Bonaire including a direct weekly non-stop flight from Newark. Check out this link for fares.