The Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival: Performer Fun Facts You’ll Love
by Carolyn Lee May 20, 2019
Something is invigorating about a music festival. It’s tied to the performers, the anticipation, the ambience and how the event unfolds. We look forward to the performers churning out their hits, making us laugh and creating memorable moments.
22-28 May 2019 marks the 19th annual staging of the Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival, an event that invigorates, entertains and unites. The festival spans five days, rich with beach parties, comedy evenings and a two-day music festival.
This year’s performers include John Legend, Charlie Wilson, Ella Mai, H.E.R., Deon Cole, Doug E. Fresh and a host of other international acts.
We know many of these performers for their talent and hits. Below, we are sharing a few fun facts about John Legend, Ella Mai and comedian Deon Cole that are not widely known.
Who knows, if you meet one of them, it could be a great conversation starter.
John Legend will be at Soul Beach Fest 2019. Photo credit: John Legend’s IG.
John could be described as an all-rounder in the entertainment industry. He’s one of 15 people and the first African American to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) awards.
The soulful singer-songwriter also wears the hats of record producer, activist, actor and pianist. His repertoire includes audience favourites such as “All of Me”, “Ordinary People”, “Glory” and “Tonight” among others.
Fun Facts: John was home–schooled and was considered a child prodigy. He was taught to play the piano by his grandmother. He also worked as a consultant after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ella Mai will be treating the audience to her soulful music at Soul Beach Fest 2019. Photo credit: Ella Mai’s’s IG.
This British singer-songwriter may be relatively new on the scene, but she stole hearts early with her sultry voice and relatable lyrics. Her hit single “Boo’d up” quickly became an anthem after its release in 2018. Earlier this year, “Boo’d up” won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Ella was also nominated as “British Breakthrough Act” at the 2019 Brit Awards.
Fun Facts: Although Ella had previous industry experience, having been on The X Factor Season 11; she gained popularity on Instagram. She used the platform to plug her music and was soon signed by DJ Mustard. During her early years in New York and London, she focused on playing soccer for a while.
Deon Cole will be bringing the laughter at Soul Beach Fest 2019. Photo credit: Deon Cole’s IG.
Laughter is great medicine! We love comedians who know how to crack us up with relatable jokes and jibes. Actor, comedian and comedy writer Deon Cole is scheduled to host this year’s comedy concert. The actor, who is a series regular on Black-ish has a robust career that spans over 20 years.
Fun Facts: Deon got into comedy after a close friend dared him to do it for $50. He was signed to Def Comedy Jam for a short while but got kicked off. He began writing shortly after. Deon landed a job on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, where he was the only black writer in the room. Along with the team, his work with Conan garnered him two Primetime Emmy nominations.
If you are heading to the festival this week, we hope these fun facts add to your excitement. Aruba and Soul Beach are great resources for the festival’s timelines, costs and everything you need to know. Enjoy and remember to make those moments count!
Sources: Aruba Soul Beach Music Fest 2019, Aruba, Billboard, The Biography.com, The Famous People, BET, and Emmys.
