CELINE DION WANTS TO RETURN TO JAMAICA!

By Richard Johnson—

Celine Dion performing at Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium two years ago—.

IF Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival organisers have their way, Canadian singer Celine Dion could be back for another performance.

A five-time Grammy winner, Dion headlined the festival two years ago, and according to Junior Taylor, the festival’s associate producer, she wants to return.

Taylor was a special guest at this week’s Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange held at its Beechwood Avenue offices.

The associate producer outlined some of the challenges faced when seeking international acts. He said, in addition to prohibitive fees, sometimes it is the management and booking agents who block a number of artists from performing.

He explained that it is the artiste who sometimes intervenes and stresses that they want to perform in Jamaica. And that was the case with Dion.

Junior Taylor

“Sometimes the artiste may have that desire but management and booking agent don’t ‘business’, they just want their 20 per cent. It is an artist who is vocal and well-rounded who will say ‘listen, I want to do Jamaica. Here’s what I want, make it happen.’ And that’s what happened with Celine Dion… We got it done by friends of the festival who contacted her management … and she wants to come back,” he said.

Taylor, however, added that Dion’s return may not neccesarily be part of ‘Jazz’ but rather part of a one-night- only series.

Some other international headline acts his team are eyeing include Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Prince, Madonna, and Beyoncé.