Mega Hit Makers Join Lineup For 2017 St. Kitts Music Festival

BASSETERRE (1ST February, 2017): Chart topping Dancehall artistes Shabba Ranks, Jah Cure, Mavado and renowned American Rock band Goo Goo Dolls are the first wave of artistes signed to perform at the 21st Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which will take place June 22-24, 2017.

“We are very pleased to welcome these prolific artistes to St. Kitts,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry & Commerce. “This mix of dancehall and rock-n-roll performances speaks to the dynamic diversity of the St. Kitts Music Festival, which has become a successful platform for driving tourism to our shores during the start of what is typically our low season for visitor arrivals.”

Mavado, is a Jamaican deejay, singer and songwriter. He is also known as Singing Blacks and Gully Gawd. His most popular songs include Caribbean Girl, Settle Down, Big League, Money Can’t Buy Life, Progress and Gyal A Mad Over.

Jah Cure is known as the “King of Lovers Rock and Roots Reggae,” and was mentored by Beres Hammond. His most popular album The Cure, dominated the billboard reggae charts for a phenomenal 36 weeks and was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

Shabba Ranks was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation and was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance. His biggest hit single outside of Jamaica was the reggae fusion smash Mr. Lover Man. Other tracks include Respect, Pirates Anthem, Trailer Load A Girls, Wicked inna Bed, Caan Dun, and Ting A Ling.

The Goo Goo Dolls are well known for their commercially successful 1998 single Iris. They also have had several other notable and popular singles including Name, Naked, Slide, Black Balloon, Here Is Gone, Better Days, Give a Little Bit, Stay with You and Home. The Goo Goo Dolls have had 19 top ten singles on various charts, and have sold more than 12 million albums worldwide
Now entering its 21st year, the St. Kitts Music Festival attracts both locals and visitors alike. It features a wide range of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music. Past artists have included such prominent acts as John Legend, Lionel Richie, Jason Derulo, Trey Songz, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, R. City, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, UB40’s Ali Campbell, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Shaggy, Kelly Rowland, Tarrus Riley, Tessanne Chin, Toni Braxton, Beenie Man, The Commodores, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Beres Hammond, Roberta Flack, Biggie Irie, and Lord Nelson. For more information about the St. Kitts Music Festival, visit www.stkittsmusicfestival.com or “like” the St. Kitts Music Festival’s Facebook page.

About St. Kitts: St. Kitts is currently ranked by US News & World Report, with sister island Nevis, at #1 on a list of Best Caribbean Honeymoons, #2 on a list of the Best Beach Honeymoon Destinations in the World, #5 on a list of Best Family Vacations in the Caribbean, #7 on a list of the Best Islands in the World and #7 on a list of the Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean. It is further ranked at #7 among the Hottest Places to Travel this Winter by CNN Money based on bookings received by Virtuoso, #8 on a list of the Top 10 Best Islands for a Holiday by Places To See In Your Lifetime, #14 on a list of the 50 Travel Destinations That Will Be Huge In The Next 10 Years as well as #8 on a list of the 25 Best Caribbean Islands by Business Insider, one of the Top 12 Best Caribbean Vacations on FlipKey.com, the vacation rental company of leading travel website, TripAdvisor®. Most recently, The Wall Street Journal ranked St. Kitts as #9 on a list of 10 places across the world for Where to Vacation in 2017, Coastal Living ranked St. Kitts as #16 of The World’s 21 Top Luxury Beach Destinations in 2017 and Caribbean Journal ranked St. Kitts as #11 of 25 Caribbean Destinations to Visit in 2017. In 2016, St. Kitts ranked #9 on a list of Top 10 Emerging Luxury Destinations for 2016 (the only Caribbean island on the list) and #15 of The Top 21 Destinations for 2016 by Robb Report, #4 on a list of the Top 5 Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Cruise Destinations in Cruise Critic’s first-ever Cruisers’ Choice Destination Awards and was called one of the Ones to Watch in 2016 by Travel Weekly. St. Kitts & Nevis were also named #13 on a list of the most popular Caribbean islands among the very rich by Bloomberg Business online, one of the Top 15 Emerging Travel Hotspots for 2015 by The Huffington Post and ranked by The New York Times at #34 of the 52 Places to Go in 2015.

Intoxicating natural beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and sandy beaches combine to make St. Kitts one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. Located in the northern Leeward Islands, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, and touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the more traditional vacation pastimes available are watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on by the sea. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.

For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn, visit www.stkittstourism.kn, or connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and/or YouTube.