Live Music
For such a small island, Barbados boasts a phenomenal amount of musical talent (well beyond Rihanna (!)) that covers a wealth of genres, from Calypsonians the Mighty Gabby and Red Plastic Bag (RPB) to soca queen Alison Hinds and world-renowned jazz saxophonist Arturo Tappin.
Live music is everywhere, in hotels, restaurants and bars on particular evenings, and over Sunday lunch, especially in high season, and at various venues in St Lawrence Gap on certain evenings. Also, check out the Sage Bar & Stage at Maxwell, near Oistins, where you can catch vibey live performances four nights a week in an intimate garden setting.
Festivals
Musical festivals to look out for include Gospelfest, the Reggae Festival and Crop Over – the Caribbean’s biggest summer carnival offers weeks of music and partying, featuring calypso, soca and steel pan. Although the annual jazz festival is no more, jazz events still feature on the calendar.
To catch steel pan outside Crop Over, head for the Southern Palms Hotel, in the Gap, on a Thursday evening or Sunday lunchtime, Surfside Bar in Holetown (on Sunday evening), or occasionally at the Fisherman’s Pub, Speightstown.