TODAY, Sunday, March 30, 2025, Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF) will mark its 30th anniversary with an extraordinary celebration of music and culture at the Shell Bandstand, Hope Gardens.

Starting with a musical prelude at 2:30 pm, the main event begins at 3:00 pm — ‘A Moment of Music with Luther François & Friends’.

The free concert celebrates the rich musical ties between Jamaica and St Lucia.

Held under the distinguished patronage of Vitus T Evans, St Lucia’s honorary consul to Jamaica, the concert will showcase a stellar line-up of musical legends and emerging talents.

The highlight of the evening will be a performance by St Lucian National Hero and internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist Luther François, backed by the exceptional pianist Orville Hammond, and the E-Park Big Band under the direction of its founder, renowned composer and musical director Peter Ashbourne.

Luther François has performed on global stages, blending traditional Caribbean rhythms with contemporary jazz elements.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their pillows, chairs, or blankets to relax on the lawn and enjoy this open-air live celebration of Caribbean music and unity.

Alongside Luther François, the line-up includes saxophonist Dean Fraser, legendary vocalist and bassist Boris Gardiner, singer Duane Stephenson, singer-songwriter Janine Jkuhl, virtuoso jazz pianist Orville Hammond, and esteemed musicologist Marjorie Whylie.

In addition to the concert, Luther François led jazz and woodwind workshops at The Alpha School of Music, Philip Sherlock Centre at The University of the West Indies, as well at his alma mater the School of Music at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

Luther François studied in the late 1970s under the tutelage of Melba Liston, Marjorie Whylie and Peter Ashbourne.

In exchange, acclaimed Jamaican composer and conductor Peter Ashbourne will be visiting St Lucia, where he will lead conducting and ensemble workshops from April 7 to 13 to help nurture the country’s musical talent, working with the Royal Police Band, National String Orchestra, and the St Joseph the Worker Youth Orchestra.

The workshops are being supported by the Creative Caribbean Project being implemented by UNESCO, Caricom Secretariat, and The University of the West Indies, with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of the Organisation of ACP States.

For 30 years Music Unites Jamaica Foundation, led by co-founder and Executive Director Rosina Christina Moder, has been dedicated to preserving and promoting Jamaica’s musical heritage through research on Jamaican composers, free concerts and cultural exchanges. Through initiatives like music scholarships, workshops, documentation and community events, the foundation continues to make a profound impact on the lives of aspiring musicians and the broader community.

Dean Fraser (Joseph Wellington)

Duane Stephenson (Karl Mclarty)

Renowned musician Peter Ashbourne with Music Unites Jamaica Foundation co-founder and Executive Director Rosina Christina Moder (Aceion Cunningham)