Basil names cast for 2010 Mustique Blues Festival

The line up for this year’s Mustique Blues Festival may be one of the best ever.

So says event organizer Basil Charles.

“We have, leading the pack, Billy Branch, who is nominated this year for a Grammy Award,” Charles explained on Tuesday at a press conference at Cobblestone Inn in Kingstown, as he announced the event which is in its 15th year.{{more}}

“Joe Louis Walker, who is nominated in five categories in the Blues Music Awards… Hans Theessink, who started the festival with me fifteen years ago, Ian Siegal whose latest release is number one on the Blues chart in London, Dana Gillespie, who has been the Queen of Blues in Europe for many years.”

Also on the roster for this year are the London Blues Band and a special guest appearance by Felix Dennis.

Charles added that the January 27 to February 10 festival will see two dates taking place away from Basil’s Bar in Mustique – the first being in neighboring Grenadine island of Bequia on Friday, January 27, as part of that island’s Music festival.

The next date will be on mainland St. Vincent on February 5. This takes place at the Aquatic Club in Villa.

Charles indicated that funds raised during the two weeks of Blues, along with sales of CDs of the festival will be donated to the Basil Charles Educational Foundation as it has been since the festival’s inception.

The foundation provides educational assistance to underprivileged children throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. So far over 120 children have benefitted from the Foundation.

“All the funds that come from the Blues Festival go to the children…. We have had a special fundraising event and have raised funds to purchase computers for the Technical College, so we are asking Vincentians to come out and support the festival.”

Charles is also soliciting the support of more members of the corporate community to get involved in the festival.

To date the foundation has secured sponsorship from entities including the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd., the Healy family of Mustique, the Mustique Company Ltd., Douglas Hamilton and Felix Dennis among others.

Charles mentioned that although the performers are not paid to perform, there has been quite a lot of interest among artistes about being a part of the festival.

He said that the festival costs approximately US $75,000 to produce; none of which comes from the Foundation.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Wayne Murphy, Marketing Manager of the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. was on hand to present a sponsorship cheque to Charles.