Total attendance
figures for the
annual, Heineken-
sponsored jazz festival held
in Puerto Rico some time
ago were again estimated
at more than fifteen thou
sand. Unlike in previous
years the festival's organi
sation was now handled by
Luis Alvarez, whose regu-
14 lar job is that of marketing
manager for Mendez Co.,
importers of Heineken beer
in Puerto Rico.
After his education in
marketing, Luis Alvarez
studied music at the
Berkley College of Music.
So he has a weakness for
jazz music and his all-time
favourite artist is Paquito
D'Rivera, the saxophonist/
clarinettist. The Heineken
Jazzfest 1991 was therefore
dedicated to D'Rivera.
Film recordings were
made of the festival. From
the eighteen hours of film
footage, two one-hour tele
vision programmes will he
Swing in San Juan
compiled for airing on one
of the local TV stations. A
CD containing highlights of
the festival will also be
brought out. The sales pro
ceeds will go towards fund
ing a scholarship at the
Interamerican University.
The many years of suc
cess of the Heineken jazz
festival in Puerto Rico have
attracted interest from
other importers in the
Caribbean. The Heineken
agents on Aruba and St.
Maarten also plan to organ
ise a local Heineken jazz
festival in their markets.
Operating companies of
Heineken reveal a growing
interest in jazz as a means
of promoting the product's
image. For the past few
years Fran^aise de
Brasserie has been organ
ising a big festival in July
featuring performances by
the very best players on the
jazz scene.
The festival generated tremen
dous interest. Over a period of
four days more than fifteen
thousand people visited the
Heineken Jazzfest 1991.
II I! I I) (I I
II I INI K I
