PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta schedule has been rolled out slowly over the past few weeks and the final details now have been determined.
The programme on March 4 is the fullest it has ever been. Eight bands are scheduled to perform on Friday night and Boardwalk Boulevard will be transformed into a music festival showcasing some of the enormous talent St. Maarten has to offer.
Local radio personality Gee Money will be the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and will have his work cut out for him, as he will have to navigate between four stages. Amongst the stages are a host of bars, restaurants and vendors, all ready to make the Regatta experience unforgettable.
The stages will be spread out down the length of Boardwalk Boulevard in Philipsburg, starting in front of Pasanggrahan Hotel and working all the way down to the new Walter Plantz Square. Festivities are slated to begin at 5:00pm and will end at 1:30am.
A variety of bands have been booked, including Remo and Barbwire Band, X-plosion Band, Koolberry Jam, Impakt Band, Control Band, Mighty Dow and his Ebony Steel Orchestra, and Shadowman. In addition, music sets will be performed by DJ Eagle, house DJ for the evening and winner of the 2015 Heineken Soggy Sounds DJ Championships.
Many of the bands slated to perform are no strangers to St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, and the idea of turning the Boardwalk Boulevard event into a place to showcase the island’s talented bands was well received.
The evening certainly will fill the warm air with sounds from all sorts of music genres from calypso to reggae, zouk to soca and steel pan to pop, assuring that everyone will enjoy an amazing Regatta experience.
X-plosion Band is scheduled to perform on stage in front of Pasanggrahan Hotel at 8:30pm. It is no stranger to the island music scene and has been performing since 1990. In addition to performing at the Regatta it often is found at Carnival celebrations in St. Maarten and around the region. Its high energy sounds will get the crowd on their feet for sure.
Control Band will bring a Latin flair to the programme when it takes the stage in front of Sint Rose Arcade at 9:30pm. It is one of the most popular bands on the island and will bring a mix of dance hits and Latin vibes to the stage and guarantee a good time. Dancing will most certainly be required.
Mighty Dow and his Ebony Steel Orchestra is another crowd favourite. Isidore “Mighty Dow” York is widely regarded as a St. Maarten success story. His steel pan music has been heard around the world, but his true passion remains in his homeland where he continues to train and teach young musicians the fine art of the steel pan music. His performance at the Regatta will take place at Captain Hodge Wharf at 7:00pm and will be one not to miss.
Down at Walter Plantz Square the night will be dominated by the illustrious Shadowman. Addison Richardson, who is better known as Shadowman, began performing seriously on stage in St. Maarten back in 2001 and has not stopped. His unique style will pull the audience close and have it moving all night long.
Festivities will continue throughout the evening. The remaining bands will be filling the stages at a variety of times, allowing the crowds to mingle back and forth while enjoying different beats and sounds.
For the entire schedule and times, visit the Regatta website
www.heinekenregatta.com .
