Joe Yogerst
10 Music fests that rock the globe
It’s a balmy night beside the Caribbean and thousands of people are gathered on a well-worn cricket pitch, not to watch men in white take wickets, but to dig the cool tunes of the annual Plymouth Jazz Festival. In the three years since its birth, Plymouth has become Tobago’s biggest outdoor party and cultural outpouring. Jazz is but a small part of a heady blend that includes all sorts of roots music—reggae, calypso, soca, funk and blues—a melodious stew that attracts music fans from all around the West Indies and (if the number of private jets parked on the tarmac at Crown Point Airport is any indication) an increasing number of high-fliers from overseas.
Flush with funds from the oil and gas fields of sister island Trinidad, the festival’s private and public sponsors attract A-list entertainers to their tropical island paradise, not just golden oldies like Stevie Wonder, Sting and Al Green, but hot young upstarts like Sean Paul, who swept away the 2007 festival crowd with his unabashedly sexy Jamaican dance hall hits...
10 Music fests that rock the globe
It’s a balmy night beside the Caribbean and thousands of people are gathered on a well-worn cricket pitch, not to watch men in white take wickets, but to dig the cool tunes of the annual Plymouth Jazz Festival. In the three years since its birth, Plymouth has become Tobago’s biggest outdoor party and cultural outpouring. Jazz is but a small part of a heady blend that includes all sorts of roots music—reggae, calypso, soca, funk and blues—a melodious stew that attracts music fans from all around the West Indies and (if the number of private jets parked on the tarmac at Crown Point Airport is any indication) an increasing number of high-fliers from overseas.
Flush with funds from the oil and gas fields of sister island Trinidad, the festival’s private and public sponsors attract A-list entertainers to their tropical island paradise, not just golden oldies like Stevie Wonder, Sting and Al Green, but hot young upstarts like Sean Paul, who swept away the 2007 festival crowd with his unabashedly sexy Jamaican dance hall hits...
Joe Yogerst
10 Music fests that rock the globe
It’s a balmy night beside the Caribbean and thousands of people are gathered on a well-worn cricket pitc... more
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1
Plymouth Jazz Festival
Tobago
Stevie Wonder (above) performed at the first edition of this festival, now one of the Caribbean’s best in terms of both mood and music, in 2005. The repertoire ranges from late model reggae and soca, to classic R&B and funk. Check Tobago Jazz Fest for programs and tickets, but know that you can usually pick up general admission tickets on festival days at the venue box office. VIP wristbands (from $120 per night) grant access to a special fenced-off area beside the stage with open bar. Traffic is a bear, so hire a taxi to convey you to and from the festival grounds. Stay with the roadies and backup musicians at the beachfront Grand Courlan or splurge on one of the Stonehaven villas where the Plymouth headliners stay.
2
Buenos Aires Festival de Tango
Argentina
Tango might be a sensual dance form to the rest of the world, but to most Argentines it’s more about the music, the rich lyrics and lilting rhythms that float through the streets of Buenos Aires during this ten-day February fest. The music unfolds each night at theaters, parks and even street corners all around the Argentine capital, as the world’s greatest living tango musicians strut their stuff. Above, the "Color Tango" Orchestra plays while Gachi and Sergio, center, dance tango during the 2003 festival. Take advantage of dance lessons (beginner to advanced), art exhibits, fashion and design fairs, and dance competitions, too. For more details, visit Festival de Tango. Tickets to most events are free and are available at the various venue box offices from 10 a.m. on the day of the show. Stay at the Home Hotel in Palermo Viejo, digs for both U2 and Franz Ferdinand during recent gigs in Buenos Aires.
3
Oahu Slack Key Guitar Festival
Hawaii
“Ki-ho'alu” is what Hawaiians call slack key guitar, a definitive and highly distinct island sound produced by fingering picking strings that have been slackened or loosened to produce a richer, deeper sound. The festival kicked off in Honolulu in the early '80s and has since spawned mini versions in Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. The one-day Oahu event (in August) plays out on the lawn at oceanfront Kapiolani Park between Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. Base your slack-key sojourn across the street at the beachfront W Honolulu, where the penthouse suites feature private wraparound lanais overlooking the festival grounds.
4
Sauti za Busara Swahili Music Festival
Zanzibar
Above, performers from Imena, a Rwandan dance and music troupe. Although originally conceived as a showcase for the Swahili music of East Africa, the Sauti za Busara (“Sounds of Wisdom”) Festival has evolved into a stage for artists from all around the continent—Senegalese rap, South African township, Rwandan folk, Malagasy pop, you name it. The February event also includes African theater, comedy, dance, film and carnival parades in historic Stone Town and Kendwa Beach on the island’s north shore. Entrance to all events is free before sunset, but VIP tickets with guaranteed seating are only $20 for the entire fest. Zamani Zanzibar resort offers beachfront villas with private plunge pools and sundecks overlooking the Indian Ocean.
5
Isle of Wight Festival
England
This was the British Woodstock, a rowdy rock fest that ran for three summers (1968-70) until it was banned by an official act of the British Parliament after nearly a million hippies overran the tranquil island. The event was revived in 2002 with the same cutting-edge sounds as the original. Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol and Lou Reed (above) have topped recent bills. Tickets go on sale in February for the June fest and are best bought online. The Royal Hotel in Ventor offers the island’s poshest digs. But you can also sleep aboard a luxury motor yacht anchored in the Solent.
6
Fez Festival of World Sacred Music
Morocco
“Let’s all learn to get along” is the underlying theme of the Festival of World Sacred Music, which unfolds each June in and around the medieval city of Fez in northern Morocco. Above, singer Jahida Wahbe. From Gregorian chants and classic gospel to Carnatic vocals from southern India and Sephardic Jewish crooners, the event attracts leading faith-based artists from around the globe. The festival menu runs from sunrise shows at Merinides quarry to al fresco evening performances in the patio of the Batha Museum. Best bet is a “Festival & Rencontres” pass (310 Euros) which gives access to all musical events, films, exhibitions and morning colloquia by global doyens of culture, peace and spirituality. Try to score a medina or mountain view suite at the historic Palais Jamai hotel which lies within walking distance of many of the festival venues.
7
Austin City Limits Music Festival
Texas
With 130 bands kicking night and day on eight different stages, “ACL” is America’s single largest annual musical event, a one-time country/folk hoedown that morphed into a smorgasbord of just about any genre you can name. Bob Dylan, Bjork, Ziggy Marley, Nickel Creek and the White Stripes are among recent headliners. VIP tickets are sold online in packages of two ($1,700) and four ($3,400), but you get some bang for your buck including open bar, free gourmet chef tastings, air-conditioned bathrooms, and a shady VIP grove to snooze away the afternoon. The September shindig spills out of Zilker Park into downtown Austin, with just about every bar along Sixth Street offering live music until the wee hours. Hotel San Jose is a blast from the hard-living Texas past, a '30s motor court updated to the 21st century.
8
Tamworth County Music Festival
Australia
Keith Urban is the merely the tip of the iceberg, a thriving Down Under country music scene that comes into full bloom each January in the New South Wales Outback town of Tamworth. From Nashville notables to up-and-coming Aussie stars, more than 800 artists perform at the sprawling ten-day event. Among highlights are the Live Free concert in Bicentennial Park and the Busker Fair along Peel Street, during which more than 600 street musicians strut their stuff. The Country Music Train provides round-trip transportation from Melbourne as well as air-conditioned sleepers and breakfast in Tamworth for the length of the festival; $2,500 per person.
9
Salzburg Festival
Austria
Mozart rather than mosh pit. The world’s premier classical music event, a month-long extravaganza of concerts, drama and opera (pictured above, performers from last year's Cosi Fan Tutte) near the foot of the Alps. Venues range from Baroque churches and palace gardens to an old granary and former salt mine. And truly, what could be cooler than listening to “a little night music” in the place where Mozart was born? Ticket orders (via mail) are accepted as early as January for the summer fest, although individual tickets can be purchased online for events that don’t sell out. The best way to get the seats you want is by becoming a festival patron (for $1,000), which entitles you to two priority tickets for as many as 15 performances, plus VIP lounge access, cocktail parties, guided tours, lectures and access to rehearsals. Bed down at the riverside Radisson SAS Aldstadt in the Old Town, within walking distance of most festival venues.
10
Coachella Valley Music Festival
California
Holy Grail of the alt-rock crowd, this three-day April fest unfolds on the 80-acre grounds of Empire Polo Club in Indio. The tunes are often complemented by sweltering weather, with the mercury sometimes hitting triple digits as acts like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Arctic Monkeys and Mika hit the stage. And being so close to Hollywood, you get surprise guest appearances (like Scarlett Johansson singing with The Jesus & Mary Chain). VIP tickets run around $550 for access to a couple of cordoned-off areas with full bars and lounge furniture; only available to bona fide VIPs and AmEx Gold Card holders. The cool places to stay tend to be on the opposite end of the Coachella Valley in Palm Springs. Check into the Viceroy Palm Springs for its retro Rat Pack ambience. Beat the heat—and the notorious bumper-to-bumper parking lot traffic—by hiring an air-conditioned limo to whisk you to and from the festival grounds.
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