Panama City Jazz Festival- Casco Viejo

It’s great to know people who know people in this town. Driving into Casco Viejo this past Saturday night one would have thought it impossible to ever make it inside. Cars were backed up all the way out to Avenida Balboa and traffic was diverted by police blockades making cars park and people walk through the winding streets into the center. However, knowing a certain someone who lives in Casco, who was ever so kind as to meet us on the street, we simply waved a pass and drove directly into the mayhem. The festival took place in the middle of town, in a square set up with a secured perimeter which had metal detectors. Beers outside the entrance cost only sixty cents, while once inside, the Heineken tent charged a whopping two bucks.

The air smelled of roasting meat, as vendors lined up selling food to attendees. The crowd was quite international and pleasant dancing along to the music. One particular area to the right of the stage was filled with people who had brought their own coolers and lawn chairs, most had been there all day. My favorite performer was Catherine Russell, whose father had written songs for Louis Armstrong, of which she performed a few. The great thing about her music was that she mixed a bit of jazz with blues and swing. Music played into the night and ended around midnight as the crowd dispersed into the narrow winding streets of this enchanting antique city.

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Filed under: News on January 31st, 2008