Despite the passing last year of its founder/promoter, Cecil ‘Sonny’ Bradshaw, the Jamaica International Ocho Rios Jazz Festival will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary June 12 – 20 with a bang with over 30 events being held island-wide.

As Sonny Bradshaw would have wanted, the show must and will go on with the theme, Jazz — The Real Deal. This year’s festival will celebrate the life of the late great elder statesman of Jamaican music, who, along with his wife Myrna Hague-Bradshaw, devoted their lives to the festival’s success and longevity.

According to a press release from Hague-Bradshaw, with the passing of her husband, high energy has been generated worldwide and international Jazz artistes from Europe and North America are clamouring to participate. Also included will be the very best of Caribbean stars, Big Band Swing, Straight Ahead Bop and some stomping Blues.

The programme will include free public concerts in Ocho Rios daily, South Coast Jazz, Port Antonio Jazz, Jazz Summer School and nightly events in Kingston.

“The annual Jamaica International Ocho Rios Jazz Festival has developed and established itself as a recognised authority for promoting and showcasing distinguished International as well as Jamaican and Caribbean Jazz musicians/artistes. Its format is one of a kind and is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of classical black music,” the press release stated.