International acts in for jazz festival in Tobago

A number of international stars including Patti LaBelle, Sting, Toni Braxton, Johnny Gill, Vanessa Williams and Chris Tucker are in Tobago for the annual Plymouth Jazz Festival, which started Friday.

Also expected at the festival is Stevie Wonder who was last year's headline act and returns this year as a special guest of the producers according to executive producer Anthony Maharaj at a press conference Friday.

Tickets for the event are being sold at US$85 and US$100 and Maharaj dismissed fears about scalpers saying "we are in total control of the tickets and they are being sold legitimately at a legitimate price".

He also gave the assurance that the land dispute between the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and a Plymouth land owner who has threatened to stop public access through his property to the venue will not affect the plans for the event.

Tobago Express has added 11 flights to its schedule and the Port Authority has also increased its ferry service to the sister isle. As many as 6, 000 people are expected for the Jazz Festival.