Rosarito International Jazz Fest

The first ever Rosarito International Jazz Festival was supposed to have happened early this year and I was looking forward to it for several weeks before the event. Because of a series of fires that happened in Rosarito however, this much awaited Rosarito event was postponed and my excitement was put on hold. I thought the postponement meant a few weeks or two months at most, but the event was rescheduled as late as the end of October. So after months of waiting, I was finally able to participate and enjoy the very first International Jazz Fest of Rosarito and would love to dwell on the details through this travelogue which would hopefully entice you to come too next year.

The Rosarito Jazz Festival 2007 was a three day event, running from Friday until the wee hours of Sunday. We booked the hotel we were to stay in more than a month in advance because expect to have plenty of competition since Jazz lovers coming literally from all over the world to fly to Rosarito, Baja California for the event.

It was a long weekend filled with music, culture and fun, plus the beautiful natural surroundings of Rosarito added to the novelty of the event. After the opening night held on Friday where three stages featured jazz musicians, cultural performances and talent shows, the following two days were jam packed with activities such as food fiestas, art exhibits, jazz workshops, wine tasting events, talent contests, Rosarito tours and even formal dinners.

Of course, no festivities in Baja California would be complete without food, and the Rosarito 2007 Jazz Fest included an array of food stalls and restaurants that turned the event from a cultural celebration, into a gastronomic adventure. From fish tacos, nachos and burritos to other international dishes, all these and more were served to and devoured by the attendees of the event.

The 2007 International Jazz Fest in Rosarito, Baja California featured famous and newly discovered musicians and artists from Mexico, the United States, Latin America, Australia, Europe and Asia. The three stages set up for the three-day festivities were occupied in turns by performers from these different places. And they were not all jazz performers, hip hop, reggae, ethnic music, pop, country, electronic, Latino and rock artists and performers shared the stage with each other and entertained the crowd made up of locals and thousands of tourists.

Rosarito's International Jazz Festival was held in order to encourage the growth of local and international musicians. It was a multicultural event which was supposed to build ties between people of all races and nationalities, using the universal language of music to bring people together and based on the number of new friends I have made during the event and the cultural impact those three days left upon me, I have to say that the event was a huge success.