Another year, another amazing run for the Montreux Jazz music festival. Celebrating its third year in Miami from Feb. 25 to March 1, the festival’s beautiful blend of culture and arts blew everyone, including myself, away once again.
At the show on Feb. 28 at The Hangar in Regatta Harbor, you could see the frantic bustle of traffic as everyone was trying to make their way in at a timely manner. Just beyond the entrance, the patio was lined up on either side as local vendors were selling their specialties from smash burgers to raw seafood.
There was a beautiful view of the harbor that captured the essence of a beautiful night in Miami. Memories were being made in real time as everyone was chatting the night away waiting for the next artist to perform.
The creators of the festival chose a smaller venue for the big artists to perform in so that the experience feels that much more intimate. The excitement was palpable.
At 8:45p.m., TOTO took the stage by storm. All around me all kinds of people couldn’t help but have wide smiles on their faces as the band played their songs. They played their classic hits such as “Hold The Line” and of course, “Africa”.
You can tell they love what they do because the amount of heart and soul put into this performance was reflected in each note that was sung and played. Each member of the band contributed an immense amount of talent.
“Africa” was the final song of their set and everyone went wild. There was a sea of smiles and dancing throughout the crowd. Next to me were two older women who appeared to be friends for a long time, singing their hearts out to a song that seemed familiar to them. It was a heart warming sight to see such wonderful experiences being created through this festival.
The next artist I had the pleasure of seeing was Nile Rodgers & Chic. opening with the song “Le Freak”, the atmosphere turned into a disco frenzy. During this performance, Nile Rodgers talked briefly about his time not only being an artist but also a producer for big artists such as Madonna and Beyonce amongst many more.
As a way to include everyone in the fun, he performed some of their songs he produced such as “Material Girl” and “Like A Virgin” by Madonna as well as “Cuff It” by Beyonce, which also won him a Grammy.
The female vocalists accompanying the band were outrageously talented. This performance had something for everyone and was very dear to Nile Rodger’s heart as he also paid tribute to a long time friend and collaborator of his who passed with the song “I’ll Be There”.
As the night wound down, it was quite evident that the Montreux Jazz Music Festival put on yet another year of undeniable talent, soul and culture which encompasses the beauty of Miami.