Running April 28 - May 7, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, JazzFest, continues it's long running reputation of showcasing some of the biggest names in the music industry, with a strong emphasis on local talents.
A small sampling of the artists scheduled to appear this year include Harry Connick, Jr., Sting, Lenny Kravitz, The Temptations, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Cowboy Mouth, Pete Fountain, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Elis Marsalis,Ernie K-Doe, Willie Nelson, and hundreds of other artists.
The legendary Ray Charles will make an exclusive appearance on the eve of Jazz Fest, when the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation presents Gala 2000 on Thursday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel. A stellar line-up of New Orleans artists will also grace the Gala stage, including Allen Toussaint, Ellis Marsalis, The Zion Harmonizers, and the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band. A special gourmet menu from the famous Jazz Fest food booths will be served. Gala tickets are $500 per person ($400 of which is tax-deductible) and the proceeds will benefit the charitable and educational purposes of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization. For information and tickets, call (504) 558-6130 or visit www.nojazzfest.com.
The world-famous Louisiana Heritage Fair, which is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, April 28, 29, 30, and Thursday through Sunday, May 4, 5, 6, 7, will again be held at the Fair Grounds Race Course. In addition to the music, presented simultaneously on 12 stages, the Heritage Fair will also feature its scintillating array of food and contemporary and folk crafts. The Festival's International Pavilion will feature the vibrant rhythms of Brazil as that country celebrates its 500th anniversary. The finest of Brazil's musical traditions will be "in the house!" Over 100 musicians and artists will offer performances, including Hermeto Pascoal, Ilê Ayiê, Maracatu Nação Pernambuco, Pife Muderno, Chico Cesar, and Cascabulho. Debuting at Jazz Fest 2000 will be the Native American Village, celebrating the unique heritage of Louisiana's indigenous people. Festival-goers will enjoy live performances inside the Village by Yellow Hammer, Robert Mirabel, Black Lodge, Joanne Shenandoah, Tommy Wildcat, plus the Bayou Eagles and Bayou Healers of Houma, and many more.
The state-of-the-art Grandstand and the neighboring Heritage Square will feature all of the classic Festival elements: music, food, crafts and fun! The multi-tiered, air-conditioned Grandstand will feature the Heritage stages, arts and crafts exhibits, video presentations, cooking demonstrations, music performances, and intimate interviews. Heritage Square will again be the site of the Jazz and Gospel tents, the Contemporary Crafts area, and food booths. Festival parades, starring brass bands and marching clubs, begin and end in this area. Congo Square, which showcases the cultural influences and vibrancy indigenous to the African Diaspora, will feature Kenny Lattimore, Betty Wright, The Wailers, Same Ole Band ("Slippin' Into Darkness," "Cisco Kid"), Los Van Van of Cuba, King Sunny Ade and His African Beats of Nigeria, Trin-I-Tee 5:7, Los Hombres Calientes, Wanda Rouzan, Cyril Neville, Tanably of Cote d'Ivoire, Rebirth Brass Band, Jean Knight, The White Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, plus many more. The Congo Square African Marketplace will offer original artwork, clothing, jewelry, and crafts that reflect this culture.
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