First names confirmed for the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival 2025

The festival opens on Wednesday, August 27th, with a free concert by artist QUIQUE in the small village of Kurá Hulanda (in Otro Banda). The remaining three days of the festival will take place, as usual, at the World Trade Center in Piscadera Bay. Gilberto Santa Rosa and Kool & The Gang will appear on Thursday, August 28th; on Friday, August 29th, Diego Baliardo's Gipsy Kings, Kandace Springs, NE-YO, Paul Carrack, Ricky Martin, and Sheila E. and the E-Train will perform. Special guests confirmed for Saturday, August 30th are Cimafunk, Cory Henry, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Hamilton De Holanda, with special guests Ivan Lins and Gabriel Grossi, Jacob Collier, and Snoop Dogg. More names will be announced in the coming months.

Gilberto Santa Rosa, nicknamed "The Gentleman of Salsa," is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of both Salsa and Bolero. He has released a large number of successful albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has sold over three million records in the United States and Puerto Rico. His latest album is titled "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa).

“Debut and Second Set, Vol. 2 from 2024.”
Kool & the Gang broke through to popularity in 1973 with the album 'Wild and Peaceful' and went on to score many more hits, including "Ladies' Night," "Celebration," "Get Down On It," "Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La La La)," "Joanna," and "Cherish." This made the band one of the leading bands in the funk/disco genre from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. The band sold over 70 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. 

Diego Baliardo's Gipsy Kings is a band consisting of his relatives from France with Catalan roots. After touring their own country and playing at weddings, festivals, and street parties, the 1980s brought them fame with their self-titled third album and the hits "Djobi Djoba" and "Bamboléo." Diego Bailardo was there from the beginning and now leads this band with the original members of Gypsy Kings and the new generation.

Kandace Springs is an American jazz and soul singer and pianist born in Nashville, Tennessee. She grew up listening to her father's records of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Dusty Springfield. Growing up, her own musical tastes included artists like Sade and Lauryn Hill; vocalists she honored on her very personal album, "The Women Who Raised Me." Springs' fifth album, "Run Your Race," was released last year.

NE-YO is a global hitmaker. As an iconic songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and as a three-time Grammy® Award winner, his musical works have generated and surpassed a total of 23 billion streams worldwide. Ne-Yo is equally known for global hit songs such as "Miss Independent," "Closer," and his debut single, "So Sick," which earned four-time platinum certification and topped the prestigious Billboard Hot 100. He has also penned global hit songs for artists such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Usher. He recently released his hit single, "Show Me."

The singer and true Puerto Rican superstar named Ricky Martin began his solo career in 1991, and that was also the beginning of his international career with his third album, "A Medio Vivir," in 1995, featuring songs such as "María La Vir," "Copa La Vir," "Copa La Vir," "1995; La Vida Loca," "Ella Bangs," "Nobody Wants to Be Alone," and many more. Martin is undoubtedly one of the Latin American artists who have sold more than 70 million records worldwide. Ricky has won two Grammys, five Latin Grammys, and a host of other prestigious awards.  

The daughter of famed jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo, Sheila E. was born with a love for the sound of the drums and congas. In the 1980s, her collaboration with Prince led to worldwide fame and other hits such as "The Glamorous Life," "The Belle of St. Mark," and "A Love Bizarre." Sheila E. has also collaborated with many other renowned artists, including Phil Collins, Gloria Estefan, and Beyoncé. Last year, she released her ninth album, "Bailar," and the single "Bemba Colorá," which earned her her first Grammy.

"Britain's finest blue-eyed soul singer," Paul Carrack, rose to fame as a solo artist and as a member of several well-known bands, including Ace, Squeeze, and Mike + The Mechanics. He also released a number of solo albums and scored a major hit with 1988's "Don't Shed A Tear." Dubbed "The Man with the Golden Voice" by the BBC, the singer toured extensively and released his latest album, "How Long," last year.

Cimafunk is the alter ego of Cuban-born singer, songwriter, and producer Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodríguez, known for blending funk and hip-hop with Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. On his critically acclaimed 2021 album, "El Alimento," Cimafunk collaborated with household names such as George Clinton, Lupe Fiasco, and CeeLo Green. His latest album, "Pa' Tu Cuerpa," was released last year to musical acclaim.

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Cory Henry excels on his Hammond B3 organ. He found his soulmates in Snarky Puppy, but in 2018, he left the collective to turn venues around the world into sold-out funk temples with his own band, the Funk Apostles. Henry's latest album, titled "Church," (2024), earned him his first solo Grammy Award, presenting the Best Roots Gospel Album.

Cuban jazz pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba joined forces with Brazilian bandolist Hamilton de Holanda last year. The result of the collaboration between these two Latin maestros was the album "Collab," which was immediately nominated for a Grammy Award. They will be joined on stage by two special Brazilian guests, singer-songwriter Ivan Lins and harmonica player Gabriel Grossi.

British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Jacob Collier is considered one of today's most talented young artists. In 2013, his videos went viral on YouTube. He won his first two Grammys for songs from his debut album, "In My Room," and then began working on Djesse, a four-part project. The final installment, Djesse Vol. 4, is expected to be released in 2024.

Entertainment mogul Snoop Dogg has reigned supreme for nearly three decades. Since his debut album, titled "Doggystyle of the Year," in 1993, he reached number 1 on the prestigious Billboard 200 and produced several top 10 singles. He is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, DJ, media personality, entrepreneur, and icon. In addition to Snoop's business ventures, he is actively involved in charitable work through numerous social organizations.

Amsterdam native QUIQUE used to listen primarily to hip-hop, but he discovered reggaeton and traditional styles like salsa and cumbia, and now incorporates them into his own music. QUIQUE has already played at prestigious Dutch festivals such as NN North Sea Jazz, Lowlands, and Down the Rabbit Hole, and has toured successfully. His debut album, "El Colombolandés," was released last year.

Fuente: ‘Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival’