No Tricks This Year, Just Treats for Spectators of the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival

November 3, 2009

All-Star Line-up of Musicians and Performers Celebrated Three Days in Paradise with Quincy Jones at the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Bermuda was all but a fright this Halloween weekend as thousands gathered to witness the all-star line-up of musicians and comedians who descended on Bermuda to honor the legendary Quincy Jones during the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091103/NY04704 )

The weekend of celebration and song kicked off on Thursday night with a cappella R & B music group, Naturally 7, and then shifted to the unique sounds of multi-Grammy winning artist, Erykah Badu. The crowd was then brought to their feet until early morning hours with a performance that was nothing short of spectacular by Wyclef Jean.

Individual performances and duets by Patti Austin, James Ingram, Michael McDonald and Kenny Rogers captivated audiences on night two of the Bermuda Music Festival. Also on this night, Bermuda's Premier and Minister of Tourism and Transport, Dr. the Hon. Ewart F. Brown honored Quincy Jones' lifetime contributions to culture and humanity with the first ever African Diaspora Heritage Trail Award. The evening came to a close with a magical rendition of "We Are the World", the best-selling single of all time that was produced and arranged by Quincy Jones.

Premier Brown said, "The Bermuda Music Festival is an event designed to entice visitors to our shores. The talent line-up for this year's Bermuda Music Festival gave a spectacular performance, leaving the audience wanting more, while paying tribute to one of music's living legends, Quincy Jones. This was a music festival to remember. "

On the final night of the festival (Halloween) actor and comedian, Chris Tucker had spectators howling with laughter between songs by The Big Band conducted by Quincy Jones himself and the sultry sounds of six time Grammy Award winner, John Legend. Singer and songwriter, Siedah Garrett brought down the house with a special performance of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - 25 years after the best-selling album of all-time was first produced by Quincy Jones.

Each of this years' Bermuda Music Festival artists performed with an international orchestra, assembled by Quincy Jones and comprised of some of the music world's most respected talents: Greg Phillinganes, music director, writer, arranger, producer and 34-year veteran musician; R&B guitar phenom Paul Jackson Jr.; and John Robinson, Q's drummer since 1979 and the drummer for Barbra Streisand from 1993 through the present. Local Bermudian musicians also joined the global talents for a truly unique collaboration.

Photos from the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival are available upon request.

About Bermuda

Bermuda, just under two hours from East Coast gateway cities, stretches for 21 miles along turquoise waters and is surrounded by a 200-square-mile coral reef plateau. Bermuda's diverse activities offer an array of vacation options, including more wreck dives than anywhere else in the world, championship golf, horseback riding, world-renowned deep sea fishing and smooth pink beaches to rest on by day's end. Accommodations range from luxury resorts to intimate guest cottages and family-run inns, all incorporating the sophistication and hospitality unique to the Bermuda experience.

For more information, visit www.bermudatourism.com.

    CONTACT:  Kelly Petrone
              Corbin & Associates, Ltd.
              (212) 246-5520
              Kelly@corbinpr.com

SOURCE The Bermuda Department of Tourism