WILLEMSTAD – The 11th edition of the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival kicks off Thursday evening, bringing three nights of performances by internationally renowned artists.

The festival will open at 8:00 p.m. with Puerto Rican singer and bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa, known worldwide as El Caballero de la Salsa (the Gentleman of Salsa). A six-time Grammy Award winner, Santa Rosa has sold more than three million records and is celebrated for his salsa and bolero hits.

At 10:00 p.m., legendary funk and pop band Kool & The Gang will take the stage. Famous for classics like Ladies’ Night, Celebration, Get Down On It, and Cherish, the group became one of the most influential funk and disco bands of the late 1970s and 80s.

The Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from both the island and abroad, and promises once again to be a major musical highlight for Curaçao.