CHICAGO comes to Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival

CHICAGO , not Barack Obama home state, but the rock band formed in 1967 in the Illonois capital, will arrive in Montego Bay for date at the upcoming Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival.

A steady stream of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Chicago, once boost Peter Cetera as lead singer, is one of the longest running and most successful U.S. pop/rock and roll groups.

They will bring to Montego Bay a package that includes #1 selling hits like "If You Leave Me Now, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", "Look Away" and their 2008 CD release Stone of Sisyphus.

For more of the BIG names already booked for Jan 22-24 festival visit http://jamaicajazzandblues.com/final/

Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 - 10 November 2008)

South African singer and civil rights activist born in . The Grammy Award winning, international acclaimed artist endearingly referred to as Mama Africa, born Zenzile Miriam Makeba is Johannesburg of the Xhosa tribe.

Makeba first toured with an amateur group. Her professional career began in the 1950s with the Manhattan Brothers, before she formed her own group, The Skylarks, singing a blend of jazz and traditional melodies of South Africa.

Miriam Makeba, the first studio album for RCA in 1960, was followed the same year by The Many Voices of Miriam Makeba, and The World of Miriam Makeba in1963. many more albums land compilations, countless performance later led to one last show.

Her final performance came November 9, 2008, where she became ill while taking part in a concert organized to support writer Roberto Saviano in his stand against the Camorra, a mafia-like organisation in a region of Italy.

Befitting this elegant African queen of music, the concert was being held in Castel Volurno near Caserta, Italy. Makeba suffered a heart attack after singing her hit song "Pata Pata" and was taken to a clinic where doctors were unable to revive her

Lionel Ritchie, Randy Crawford, Atlantic Star for Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival

R&B legend Lionel Ritchie, singer Randy Crawford, funk group Atlantic Star join the fabulous O'Jays at the rebrand JTB sponsored Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival to be held at the Aqueduct in Montego Bay, January 22 - 24, 2009.

Thirty (30) years in the business, over 100 million albums sold, countless awards including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, five Grammys, and the Crystal Award for Humanitarianism, Lionel Ritchie returns to the Montego Bay Festival.

Jazz & R&B singer Randy Crawford broke into the pop world as vocalist with the Crusaders, an instrumental jazz-oriented group on their sole hit Street Life. The Georgia born singer followed up solo effort include soul standards One Day I'll Fly Away, Rainy Night in Georgia, Knocking On Heaven's Door, a big selling album Secret Combination. Crawford was Michael Manley's favourite singer.

Atlantic Star, masterpiece soul band formed in 1976 in White Plains, NY by brothers Wayne (keyboardist/singer), David (lead singer/guitarist) and Jonathan Lewis (trombonist/percussionist) who hired vocalist Sharon Bryant, was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s but fared well in the adult contemporary market as well. Yet, their roots were '70s soul and funk with US Top 5 hits Secret Lovers, Always (#1), and Masterpiece.