JAMAICAN reggae icon Buju Banton will headline the inaugural Tobago Rhythm and Soul Festival, on April 20, 2025.
The festival, from April 17-20, is being hosted by the Tobago Festivals Commission and will feature various artistes on different nights, catering for varying musical tastes.
The announcement of the festival and Buju's appearance attracted significant interest on the commission's social media pages on December 7. The commission's Facebook post was shared over 400 times, with over 200 comments from people expressing excitement about the event,
In 2024, the Tobago Festivals Commission, did not host its customary Tobago Jazz Festival in April.
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said it was his administration's intention to allow the private sector to take the driver's seat in hosting these types of events. He said the THA would provide support but would no longer take the leading role,
This stance gave birth to the inaugural Tobago Jazz and Music Weekend, hosted by BlackTwoSugars, a Trinidad-based promotion company, from April 25-28.
In an interview with Newsday on December 9, Tobago Festivals marketing and communications manager Anjani Downes said the Tobago Rhythm and Soul Festival was being hosted by the commission, a company under the purview of the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation.
However, she said it was not being held to replace the Tobago Jazz Festival.
She said the commission was not hosting any event in April, so "it's just filling the void where jazz would have been. It's not a jazz festival..."
She said this new festival targets various demographics, and more will be revealed soon.
"It's actually three different nights of events. We're targeting a mixed audience. There are certain nights that would be geared towards a mature audience, such as the Seafood and Jazz on Saturday, and the Sunday would be geared towards a mixed crowd."
She encouraged the public to follow the Tobago Festivals social media pages and website, as ticket prices will be revealed soon. She said there will also be early-bird specials.
Tickets will be available at islandetickets.com.
The post Buju to headline Tobago Rhythm and Soul Festival appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
