St Lucia Jazz Fest gets ready for Corinne Bailey Rae, Ne-Yo, Steel Pulse and more

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The St. Lucia Jazz Festival – marking its 19th anniversary this year – runs from the 1st to 9th of May, with a scintillating international line-up that runs the gamut from jazz, soul, and R&B to calypso, kompa, reggae and much more.

This year's headliners include Ne-Yo,; Corinne Bailey Rae; Shaggy; and Steel Pulse, as well as Laura Izibor; Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club; Haitian kompa band T-Vice; reggae veteran Maxi Priest; Jeffrey Osborne; Freddie Jackson; bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding; Dobet Gnahoré from the Ivory Coast; and the island's own Teddyson John and Ronald "Boo" Hinkson.

"Saint Lucia Jazz is a spirit-filled experience and we are so happy to add this year's stars to the long list of international artistes who have previously graced the stage here like John Legend, George Benson, Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker and so many others," explained St. Lucia's Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation Allen Chastanet.

The Festival line-up includes:

• Wednesday 5 May: Described as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artists to Watch", 22-year-old Irish songstress Laura Izibor performs at Gaiety in Rodney Bay, with guitarist Earl Klugh; and the St. Lucia School of Music Jazz Band (Black Ants)
• Thursday 6 May: French-born jazz and rock violinist Jean-Luc Ponty takes centre stage at Gaiety 
• Friday May 7: Three-time R&B Grammy winner Ne-Yo is the headliner for the Festival's third night
• Saturday 8 May: Fresh off the release of her new album, The Sea, British-born, Grammy-winning songstress Corinne Bailey Rae delights Festival fans 
• Sunday 9 May: Pigeon Island hosts Jeffrey Osborne; Freddie Jackson; Phil Perry; Howard Hewett; Maxi Priest and Shaggy for the grand finale of this year's Festival