Barbados for the Sports Fan

Football fans will be feelin' irie next week when three Barbados-born performers take the stage for the 2009 United Way Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show. Just tune in to the Packers vs. Lions game on Thursday, November 26 at 12:30 PM ET on FOX (I know our cheesehead managing editor Becky will be watching) and you can score a special performance by Bajan singers Shontelle, Hal Linton and Vita Chambers. After the game, surf over to nfl.com/thanksgiving to download a copy of the performance – and you can feel pretty good about it since all proceeds benefit United Way.

Cayman Jazz Fest 2009

This year's Cayman Jazz Fest kicks off on December 3 and it's poised to be the biggest yet as Grammy Award winning artist Alicia Keys headlines the entire weekend. Through December 5, jazz, soul and R&B artists including Keith Sweat, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and soul singer Oleta Adams will descend on Grand Cayman's Camana Bay for the sixth annual event celebrating the area's musical roots.

Want to go? Just cruise over to caymanislands.ky/jazzfest to check out vacation packages starting at $649 per person.

Win a Private Island Concert with Dave Matthews Band

The Caribbean is always jammin' with live music, from reggae and jazz fests to calypso and soca performances. But music fans will love the latest promotion from the U.S.-based Dave Matthews Band, which gives you the chance to win a 4 day/3 night cruise for two to Port Paradise in the Bahamas this fall, culminating in a private beachfront concert by the group.

The Bud Light-sponsored Port Paradise cruise departs from Port Canaveral, FL on October 23, but hurry - you have to enter the contest by midnight on August 27 to be eligible.

Check out the official rules and the Dave Matthews Band Port Paradise page to enter, then surf over to our own contest page for more great ways to win a Caribbean trip!

Bare Feetin' with Barefoot

See this guy? Notice his feet. No shoes. That's why they call him Barefoot Man. That thing in his hand? His life. Where does he do it? Wherever that crap hanging from his ceiling washes up. Why do you want to see him? Because wherever he plays it's bound to be a good time.

That's especially true at a funky beach hideaway on Guana Cay in the Bahamas. The name? Nippers Beach Bar. Barefoot Man, a.k.a. George Nowak, only plays Nippers a few times a year (he has a full time gig at The Reef on Grand Cayman). When he does, you bet he tears. it. up.

On July 24th around noonish (it's island time) and July 25th for dinner (be sure to book reservations in advance), you too can catch the shoeless one singing favorites like "Layin' Low in Abaco" or "When They Cut You Off at Nippers" when you're layin' low in Abaco or as your friends drag your noodle-like body out of Nippers. Dance to other favorites like She Loves my Deck, Save the Lap Dance for Me and Victoria's Got a Secret. And do it all like Barefoot: barefoot.

Bélè Beats

When I hit an island, the first thing I do is ditch the iPod and channel surf past the island talk radio for the good stuff - local tunes. I'm from Louisiana, and I learned from an early age that music isn't just something that makes you dance. It's part of the culture. It's a way to experience yet another level; to connect. Whether it's in an off-the-beaten-track Belizean village or the welcome terminal of the San Juan airport, I'm not satisfied until I've had my fix.

I landed on Martinique just in time for their Emancipation Day festivities. That's where I first heard Bélè, a mix of traditional drumming and singing from the era of slavery, which eventually evolved into zouk. The drums, called ta mbou in Creole, are handmade like a rum barrel, with wooden slats shaped by metal rings and fired from the inside. We watched Bwa Mabi perform a few cadences in the Slave Savannah heritage village, led by Max Telephe (the one standing). He's kind of a big deal - a local celebrity for his singing, acting and musical instrumentation.

In their cadences, Max sang in the traditional call-and-response style. In other words, he called, and the rest of the band repeated. Simple, but rhythmic. He also played the flute and shaker, and another member played ti bois, the bamboo drum. They were fascinating to watch.

The accompanying dance (bottom), also called Bélè, is a form of quadrille, where four couples dance in a square formation. It got pretty raunchy (if you've ever been in a late night club in the Caribbean, you know what I'm talking about). Let's just say I'm still blushing. Apparently that's not a new invention from the whippersnappers. Now that I've seen the dance, felt the beat and heard the lyrics, I know Martinique a little better (maybe even intimately).