The Miami Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival draws thousands of people to Florida each year, and now Cayman has its own festival - cunningly titled Cayman Islands Winter Music Festival, to showcase the brilliance of its artists.

The three-day event takes place from 1 to 3 April at Calico Jack’s and promises to be a spectacular bash featuring brilliant live and DJ performances from local and international artists.

It all kicks off on Friday, 1 April at 6pm. Amongst the talent on show are Big Eye Squirrel, whose mark on the Cayman music scene goes back a decade and more. Love Culture’s roots, rock and reggae always goes down a treat, gypsy/reggae/surf/ska/rock outfit Charlie Goes Electric bring their multicultural mash to the stage and Suckerbox are also on the bill, the pop-punks who are always guaranteed to put on a high-energy show.

DJs to the fore

Saturday, 2 April is an all-day affair with an exciting line up of local and international DJs from 12pm to 12am with a superstar headliner closing the night. Artists spinning the discs include: DJ Beatdown (Cayman),

DJ Billy Corduroy (South Africa), Snarf Beatz (Cayman), and DJ Craig (Canada).

DJ Lizzie Curious is one the most successful female DJs in the UK. Years of experience combined with her raw talent, insatiable appetite for the hottest house music, a never ending source of energy and enthusiasm, flawless technical skills and consistent floor-filling, crowd-enthusing performances led to a summer residency in 2009 Ibiza at the world-famous superclub Privilege.

DJ Brooklyn (USA) travels to some of the world’s largest cities, spinning and producing electro, house and dubstep music. His 2011 tour will touch down in more than 10 countries. His live shows incorporate not only standard DJ equipment, but studio production programmes and drum machines, making for more of an engaging live performance.

The headliner is Morgan Page (USA), and the Los Angeles progressive and electro house DJ’s most widely recognised track is “The Longest Road,” feat. Lissie, which was included on his debut album Elevate, released in March 2008. The deadmau5 remix was nominated for a Grammy. Morgan Page has earned a solid reputation for transferring insatiable pop energy to the dance floor in the form of banging, progressive house tracks.

Cruisin’ the sound

Finally, on Sunday, 3 April there’s a boat cruise across the North Sound that departs from Safehaven at 2pm to return at 6pm. Just the thing to discuss the buzz and find out exactly which track it was that made your feet and hips move uncontrollably when the DJ dropped it.

Miami might have the big reputation - but Cayman has the big hearts, and the big talents. Why would you want to be anywhere else?  

The event is hosted by Heineken , Spin 94.9 and Calico Jacks, and other sponsors include What’s Hot, Smirnoff, Red Bull, and Lions Productions.

Here is the full, up to date talent line up:


Bands:                         

Stuart Wilson and Love Culture
Backbeat
Charlie Goes Electric
Local Motion 345
Ratskyn (performing as Loaded Peace)
E-Z Street Band

DJ’s:                        

Snarf Beatz
Beatdown
Natural
Lizzie Curious (headliner)
Billy Corduroy
Brooklyn (headliner)
Morgan Page (headliner)