I'm always shocked by how haphazardly events are thrown together and poorly advertised here in Puerto Rico. I literally just learned about this event yesterday, and it's tomorrow. Just in case you're like me, I wanted to share the details of the festival; it sounds like a good one.
Tomorrow, on the grounds of the Rio Grande Plantation, Eco Resort, Coors Light will host the Puerto Rico Electronic Music Festival. Featuring top electronic dance performers from Puerto Rico, the festival looks like it would be a lot of fun.
With three stages, the Lost Forest, the Groove Terrace, and the Bass Jungle, the festival has the setup for the ultimate rave. Literally on the footsteps of El Yunque, this festival has it all: hi-tech sound systems, light shows, special effects, and over 35 local acts.
I just wish that they had given everyone a little more time to hear about this one. I'm truly sorry I won't be able to attend, and at $15 a ticket, it would have been worth the drive and the $15 bucks just to experience a taste of the vibe. Of course, I bet they'll make up the low ticket prices with $4 beers and expense food kiosks! But still, 10 hours of tripping in the jungle to techno music; what could be cooler? More details can be found on the Coors Light Puerto Rico website.
Despite my disdain for the show and it's evil twin Objetivo Fama, there is no denying that I'm in the minority, because both dominate the ratings. And so it is, that for the first time, American Idol will conduct auditions for the 8th season of the show here in our little corner of the ocean.
On August 2nd, in the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, the production team from American Idol will conduct auditions. While the trio of judges, that I think everyone universally hates, but is strangely attracted to, will not be present at the auditions, it is rumored that they will be present when they begin to whittle the list of local contestants down. Or whatever it is they do during the course of the the show, because, I truthfully have never seen an episode of the program. Of course, since I've been doing the whole starving entrepreneur thing for a while now, cable is a distant memory. Anything I want to watch now has to come via BitTorrent, and believe me, my bandwidth is too precious to be spent downloading episodes of American Idol. In fact you can probably count on one hand the number of shows I do consider BitTorrent worthy.
While Puerto Rico has been excluded from the first seven seasons of the program, due to the popularity of Objetivo Fama (OF), I guess they want to jump on the bandwagon and see if they can duplicate the following of OF. I'm skeptical, because there are many factors that work together to make OF so successful here in PR. I guess we'll soon find out. If you start to hear people talking about American Idol everywhere you go, then they will have succeeded.
To participate in the auditions, participants must be between 16 and 28, and be willing to travel to the United States. Two days before the auditions, the production team of the program will be giving out bracelets to aspiring singers, which will determine the time of their audition. They are hoping that will limit the usual insane behavior that that usually accompanies an event of this magnitude. I wish them luck with that, LOL.
This year's edition of the much anticipated Heineken JazzFest 2008 is almost here. On May 29th through May 31st Tito Puente Ampitheater will host some of the coolest jazz players in the world, this year the Heineken JazzFest celebrates the music of Andy and Jerry González.Before turning 20, Jerry was already playing trumpet and congas with Dizzy Gillespie. His brother Andy is one of the the most important Latin bassists in the world today. Put them together and throw in Steve Berrios, Larry Willis, and Joe Ford, and you get the Fort Apache Band, arguably one of the most electrifying ensemble Latin Jazz has ever seen. Well at least according to the website.
For many Jazz fans, perhaps equally anticipated is Pat Methany's first appearance in Puerto Rico. I remember vaguely seeing Pat Methany back in college. He performed in the theater of the university, but we were in the starving college student nose bleed sections, and for "other reasons" I can't say I remember much. If your not familiar with Methany's accomplishments I think you'll be impressed. Give a quick read through his biography over at the Heineken JazzFest website but play this video while you read it to get into the mood.
Pat Methany Trio, "Lone Jack":
This year's line-up and schedule for the three days of jazz is (all events are at Tito Puente Ampitheater):
- Thursday, May 29th
- 08:00 Andy González & Rumbajazz
- 09:30 Dave Valentin Quintet
- Friday, May 30th
- 08:00 Marco Pignataro with special guest Matt Marvuglio
- 09:30 Ahmad Jamal
- 11:00 Jerry González Y Los Pirates del Flamenco
- Saturday, May 31st
- 08:00 Pat Methany Trio with Christian McBride & Antonio Sánchez
- 10:00 Jerry González & The Fort Apache Band