I have seen J Balvin so much this year, whether it was a FIFA World Cup-related event, a surprise appearance at Fuerza Regida’s last show of their “This Is Our Dream” U.S. stadium tour at Citi Field in Queens, New York, on August 7, or an album release party for his collaborative album OMERTA with Ryan Castro, which I feel like prepared me to sing and dance my heart out during his set at this year’s Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival.
When I got the invite, in addition to Balvin, I had already set in my mind which artists I would make it to: Sean Paul, Rubén Blades, The Jacksons (spoiler alert: I didn’t make it to the infamous family because the Panamanian king of salsa was hard to part ways with), and more artists whose discographies I hadn’t realized I knew much of. From September 2nd–6th, which also happened to be Labor Day weekend, the three nights at the beachfront spot on Piscadera Bay, whose past headliners were Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Tems, and Ricky Martin, offered three stages of unforgettable performances with a perfect end-of-summer escape to Curaçao.
Night one on Thursday, September 3, kicked things off with Gente de Zona singing hits like “Háblame de Miami,” “La Gozadera” with Marc Anthony, “Bailando” with Sean Paul, Enrique Iglesias, and Descemer Bueno, and more. One part of the duo, Alexander Delgado, also came out for night two with the Jamaican reggae artist. The Cubans set the perfect musical tone for the weekend.
Night two, Friday, September 4, was the day to lock in because Blades was performing, but I also had to relive my after-school days of watching Sean Paul on BET’s 106 & Park and singing along to all the songs my older cousin would blast. I also wanted the chance to see The Jacksons, but as I mentioned, it didn’t happen because it was at capacity. Still, I saw the Michael movie with Jaafar Jackson earlier this year, so I already got a taste of singing along to the popular family hits.
What made up for missing The Jacksons’ set? Getting to dance to salsa and reggae in one night. Blades is one of the many artists my mom plays at home, and I love salsa. I’m not the best at dancing it, but the rhythm and sound are captivating, and I can’t get enough of hearing “Pedro Navaja,” “Buscando América,” “Amor y Control,” and more. It was followed by Paul performing his hits “Get Busy,” “Cheap Thrills” with Sia, “Infiltrate,” and many more. I couldn’t have asked for a better Friday night.
The last night was Colombian star J Balvin’s memorable party for the audience, and I couldn’t get enough. He brought out Castro, aka el nene de Curaçao, to perform songs like “Tonto,” “Una A La Vez,” and more. What I also love about festivals is that whether you know what the artist is saying or not, if the music feels good, you will have anyone happily dancing, which is exactly what Balvin did on Saturday, September 5, with his songs “Azul,” “Mi Gente,” “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life),” “I Like It,” and more.
I not only had a great time at the festival, but I also stayed at the fabulous Il Mare, an exclusive, adults-only beachfront hotel at the Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino. The staff catered to my every need, which was a hard adjustment coming back to making my own meals and not having late-night room service. Aside from the incredible views and incredible staff, I also got to hear the artists rehearse for the festival.
And while this was my second time in Curaçao, I got to immerse myself in the culture by visiting Netto Bar to try their famous Ròm Bèrdè. They’re also the island’s oldest bar, established in 1954, and hosted an informative scavenger hunt. Shoutout to my team, aka the flamingos, for the win, and a big thank you to the Curaçao Tourist Board for making me feel like a local and allowing me to enjoy all the great things the island has to offer.
If Diamond PR wants me back in 2027 and hopes the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival will bring even more iconic Latino artists to perform, I’ll gladly return for a third time to the colorful, wonderful island.
Travel and accommodations were provided to the author by Diamond PR for the purpose of writing this story.