The Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, in association with BET Event Productions, is pleased to announce that the Islands' First Annual Music and Poetry Festival is scheduled for September 1st ­ 5th, 2004 on the beautiful island of Providenciales. Artists scheduled to perform include Jeffery Osborne, Maxi Priest, Chaka Khan, Joe and Boyz II Men as well as some of the Turks and Caicos' top local artists.

Events scheduled for the festival include a beach party at Half Moon Beach on Little Water Cay, the Spoken Word Poetry Evenings at Magnolia Restaurant and live music at the main festival stage located at Turtle Cove. The events will showcase a lot of what the Turks and Caicos have to offer: very unique local talent, premier beaches, world-class diving and friendly people.

Kim Fields, star of the sitcoms “Living Single" and “The Facts of Life", hosted the festival's preview show on April 16, 2004; the show was co-hosted by Mr. David Bowen, the Turks and Caicos¹ Director of Culture. Kim Fields and Malcolm-Jamal Warner ("The Cosby Show") will co-host Lyric Café, the spoken word component of the festival.

Mr. Lindsey Musgrove, the Director of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos commented, “We are delighted to have joined forces with BET Event Productions in order to hold an event such as this in our 'beautiful by nature' Islands. The Music and Poetry Festival is the first of its kind in the Islands and will be another great annual event that will help us draw visitors for some fun, sun and relaxation."

About the Turks and Caicos
The 40 Islands of the Turks and Caicos, of which eight are inhabited, are renowned for their award-winning beaches, diving and array of world-class resorts. There are three daily 75-minute direct flights from Miami, a US Airways direct flight from Charlotte, and weekly flights from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Toronto.