By Jennifer Orrange
On June 15, 2014 a Second Annual outdoor music event will take place at Neptune’s Restaurant at Coral Beach Village on Utila’s South Shore.
Following the success of last year’s event, organizers have put together this year’s festival called “Footstock”, to celebrate the music of local talent as well as the music of the ‘Cayman’s Cowboy’ Andy Martin, and fellow Caymanian ‘Barefoot Man’.
Last year’s charity event was a big success according to coordinator Nick Nowak, President and CEO of Coral Beach Village, Utila. “Last year (2013) was our first time doing this event and it was very well received. We were also able to raise almost $2,000 to benefit BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association). We hope to increase the number of guests this year in order to raise even more money to help benefit BICA”. After costs all profits from the sale of tickets to Foot Stock are going directly to the conservation association.
Approximately 450 people attended the South Shore concerts last year and people had a great time in spite of some rain that fell earlier in the day. “We heard comments such as it was a great event to bring the whole family to (we had several families with 3 and 4 generations in attendance,) and just days after then event I was stopped in town and asked when we were planning the next one” explained Nowak.
This year, the event is called Footstock. When asked what this means, Nowak replied that when he first visited Utila a few years ago, it was instantly apparent how many similarities Utila shares with Grand Cayman (where Nowak was born and raised). The topography, flora and fauna are pretty much the same; the last names of Utila’s original families were recognizable to the Caymanian visitor as were the very similar accents. “I also found it quite the coincidence that Utila had its own “Barefoot Band” after growing up listening to my father and his group “Barefoot Man & Band”. Last year The Barefoot Band played and they are on the bill for this year’s event once again. All these things combined with the beachfront venue and its policy of ‘no shoes, no shirt, no problem’ and the play on words (Woodstock), the organizers believed Footstock would be a clever and catchy name for what they intend to be a yearly music festival.
The confirmed line-up of musical talent for Footstock 2014 includes: Andy Martin “The Cayman Cowboy”; The Barefoot Man; Sea N B Band; and Utila’s own Barefoot Band and may possibly include a few more artists. “We will also be featuring the World Cup game prominently and will be cheering on the Honduras selection as they take on France” explained Nowak, an ardent football fan.
For those who don’t know, Andy Martin – “The Cayman Cowboy” – is a part of the very close legacy between the Bay Islands and Grand Cayman where seafaring has always been a tradition. In Utila the custom continues where fishing, working abroad on boats for various industries and diving all remain important contributors to this Bay Islands’ economy. “Letter from Sea” the Cowboy’s most notable song within the Bay Islands, from the mid- 1970s, earned its popularity by registering deep in the hearts of Bay Islanders. With a refrain of “Got no letters here today — and I’m a thousand miles away -I’ll be back — I’ve got 22 more days” this heartrending ballad continues to ring true for the many men (and their families), who make a living by leaving their island homes to work in the shipping industry.
Becoming famous upon his return home after many years working on oil tankers that crisscrossed the seas and writing songs of longing for his native island, Martin performed a song in a hotel bar that would become his first hit: “Cayman Cowboy,” a song which includes the refrain: “He’s a Cayman Cowboy, and it might seem strange, but he calls his island his home on the range.” Things took off from there and since that time, Martin and his producer and writer, fellow Cayman performer “The Barefoot Man” (George Nowak), have travelled to Nashville TN, and have recorded four albums together over the last three decades.
Barefoot Man, originally from the German Alps found himself yearning for white sand and tropical blue water as a young man and after some time spent island hopping he settled down with his guitar and made Cayman Island his home. Barefoot Man is now an integral part of Cayman music culture and is to the Caribbean what Jimmy Buffet is to Key West. Known simply as “Barefoot,” He’s composed about 2,000 songs and recorded more than 500 on over 60 albums. He regularly performs in the Cayman Islands, Bahamas and venues throughout the United States. His music is an eclectic mix of calypso, reggae, ska, a little bit of country and a whole lot of humor and promises to provide an entertaining performance at this year’s Footstock.
Coral Beach Village is an ideal venue for a music festival. Located on 300 acres of property along Utila’s beautiful South Shore, east winds blow strong and the view across the Sea toward the mountains of mainland Honduras is striking. The facilities include Neptune’s air-conditioned restaurant and bar with indoor and outdoor seating. There is a 60 meter long dock located off of the beach in front of the restaurant and just beyond the end of the dock lies a brilliant coral wall, perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are Marina facilities approximately 200 meters from the beach where the water taxis will drop off and pick up festival attendees.
In addition to being a great place to visit for the day The Coral Beach Village Community is a great place to live or vacation. “We plan to have some members of our team available on the day of Footstock to discuss the exciting real estate options offered at Coral Beach Village” explained Nowak.
Food and Beverages will be available for purchase from Neptune’s Restaurant and Bar on the day of the event.
Tickets can be purchased in Utila from Utila Realty, Neptune’s Restaurant, Bush’s supermarket, BICA and several other spots around town. Look for posters on doors saying “Buy your Footstock tickets here!” Ticket prices are L200 for adults and L100 for Kids ages 2-12. Tickets are available on the Utila Cays from Utila Cays Diving.
On the day of the event, boat transportation to and from the South Shore is included with the price of admission. Signs will be posted advertising pickup and drop-off times from the landing dock in Blue Bayou, closer to the festival date. For current information, follow Coral Beach Village on Facebook.
