Today, the organization is proud to announce the line-up for the fourth edition of Curaçao International BlueSeas Festival. The free street festival in the historical area of Pietermaai will take place on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 April 2019. Again the festival presents a fine selection of international blues talents on the various stages. The full program and timetable is now available on the website.

Hailing from Minnesota, Davina and The Vagabonds are winning over audiences one by one. The band based around dynamic singer Davina Lozier have been making a name for themselves all around the world with their addictive mix of blues, old-fashioned New Orleans jazz and many other genres. Frontwoman Davina has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, and Billie Holiday, but is really her own unique self.

Hailed as a true guitar hero by people in the know, like Joe Bonamassa and Carlos Santana, for instance, Eric Gales is a force to be reckoned with on six strings. Picking up his instrument at age 4, Gales’ older brothers taught him how to play licks and songs influenced by Jimi Hendrix. Gales released his latest album, Middle Of The Road, in 2017. Already his fifteenth studio album, the record features guest artists such as Gary Clark Jr. and Lauryn Hill, among others.

Guitarist Solomon Hicks was nicknamed “King” because he seamlessly merges jazz and blues and at such a tender age. Now in his early twenties, Solomon started playing the lead guitar at New York’s Cotton Club at age 13 and has been doing so for ten years straight – with a 13-piece band! His fourth and latest album, Carrying On The Torch Of The Blues, was released in 2015. His first album on the Mascot label could be released any day now. 

Having started performing at a young age, Shakura S’Aida quickly made a name for herself in the Canadian music scene. A music veteran with more than 30 years of experience, she performed with many different artists; among others, she was a backing vocalist for Patti LaBelle. It only went on from there: now she’s performing all around the world and has been nominated for numerous awards. Her third and latest album was 2012’s Time.

Sharrie Williams began singing in the church choir at age six. By the time she was twelve, she had begun recording and touring. After she joined the house band at a club called Wiseguys, they quickly evolved into Sharrie Williams & The Wiseguys. Williams is known for her smoky voice with which she sings a unique style of the blues, mixed with gospel and rock.

Nick Moss is known for his jaw-dropping guitar playing and soulful vocals. A bona fide soulman, he crafted his art playing Chicago’s blues clubs. After serving as a sidemen to others, Moss formed his own band in 1997. His latest album, 2018’s The High Cost Of Low Living, is the first on which he is joined by renowned harmonica player Dennis Gruenling.

Louisiana-born singer Robert Finley was discovered as an artist at an age when most people are thinking about their pension. When The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach saw a clip of his performance while busking in the street, he signed Finley to his record label. The result was 2017’s album Goin’ Platinum!, on which the self-taught musician showcases his raw blues rock with a splash of soul and a dash of gospel.

Singer and saxophonist Vanessa Collier picked up her sax at age nine and discovered the blues by playing a solo over a blues track two years later. Earning no less than two degrees from Berklee College of Music, Collier released her first album Heart Soul & Saxophone in 2014. She followed up with Meeting My Shadow in 2017 and her latest album, Honey Up, in 2018.

The full line-up is as follows:

Friday 19 April: Davina & The Vagabonds, Eric Gales,  “King” Solomon Hicks, Shakura S’aida

Saturday 20 April: Nick Moss Band – feat. Dennis Gruenling, Robert Finley, Sharrie Williams & The Wiseguys, Vanessa Colier

Curaçao International BlueSeas Festival is an initiative of Fundashon Bon Intenshon and produced by Mojo Concerts.