Get ready for Cool Out 2023

Cool Out 2023 will bring the Korean Wave to Grand Cayman the first week of November. It will also mark a milestone with the performance of internationally renowned producer and DJ Steve Aoki. The A-list performer with over 11 million followers has included Grand Cayman as a tour stop on his World Tour. He will be the headliner of the Cool Out Waterfront stage on Thursday 2nd November 2023 beside Sandbar Bar & Grill on South Church Street.

“We are thrilled that Steve Aoki will perform at Cool Out this year. With a long track record of collaborations with both Caribbean and Korean artists, he was the perfect fit for the musical showcase which will also feature GRAMMY™ winner Jason JG Gilbert, Nicholas George, known locally as Nick, the son of Barefoot Man, Nire Bird, Elyse Saunders, a rising Canadian country music star, and K-Pop idol AleXa”, explained a representative of the Cool Out team, adding that “we understand that this eclectic mix of local and visiting talent is not what one would normally expect at an Aoki show, but the core of Cool Out 2023 is a conference and workshops where the leading industry experts come together to share ideas, network, and do business. The live music performances are intended to showcase local and visiting talent and to foster collaborations and businesses opportunities for the performers. We hope that the public will embrace the purpose behind the showcases and attend as many performances as possible because the audience members are a critically important part of the Cool Out Movement.”

The long list of industry experts attending the Cool Out Conference and Workshops can be found on the Cool Out website at www.cool-out.com. Paying homage to the theme “where the Korean Wave meets the Caribbean”,  the programs start with introductory remarks by the legendary founder of the K-Pop industry Producer Lee Soo Man. Other notable speakers include Korean mega producer Hyuk Shin, the CEO of the ETF fund Beyond Music Jangwon Lee, leading academic and author of the seminal book on the K-Pop industry Professor Jangwoo Lee, and the music manager who launched the Korean supergroup BTS into North America Eshy Gazit. Joining these heavyweights of the Korean music industry are leading experts from United States, Canada, Caribbean, and Europe. The Conference takes place on the Thursday and is targeted towards the business, legal, accounting, fintech and finance side of the music industry.

The following day on Friday 3rd November, Workshops will be held for the creative side of the industry. Industry experts from around the world will lead table discussions with aspiring musicians, songwriters, singers, composers, producers, music managers and other creative entrepreneurs.

Country music enthusiasts will be drawn to Cool Out Sunsets & Songs with multi-GRAMMY™ winner Paul Overstreet which will take place on Thursday 2nd November. At the listening event, Paul will share the secrets behind his many hit songs including “Forever and ever amen” and so many more.

The attention will be on Cayman’s own Barefoot Man during the Cool Out Spotlight luncheon on Friday 3rd November where guests will celebrate his 50 years of performing in the Cayman Islands with special performances from Sea n’ B, Nicholas George, and Barefoot Man himself.

Rounding out the ticketed shows during Cool Out 2023 is a special night of traditional Korean music followed by traditional Caribbean music with a modern twist. Cool Out Fish Tea Vibes will take place on Saturday 4th November featuring Pebble Stone from Seoul, Randy Cholette’s Red Boat Experience and headlined by Swanky Kitchen Band.

This year, The Hive, Rum Point and Open Canvas Karoo join Cayman Cabana and LoneStar as stages featuring live performances during Cool Out 2023. Local favorites like James Geary, Harmony Scott, Beneil Miller,  Ben Hud, Stuart Wilson, Saintair, LionFish, TaCaTaC, and Jimmeh the Boss will be hitting the stages across the island alongside newcomers like Maric and Reezes Vassell. All of these stages are free to the public. Showcases of visual art by Open Canvas and Wide Awake as well as Taekwondo demonstrations by the Cayman Islands Taekwondo Federation will also take place.

With collaborations being a key objective of the Cool Out Movement, we can expect to see a number of collaborations between visiting and local artists. Rico Rolando is set to perform with award winning pop group Hot Chelle Rae at The Hive on Friday 3rd November. Nicholas George is planning a collaboration which will be showcased the same night with Canadian rising stars River Town Saints. Surprise collaborations are also likely to occur when RikRok makes an appearance.

An important part of Cool Out 2023 are the songwriting camps hosted by the Songwriters of North America (SONA). USC professor and GRAMMY™ winning songwriter and composer Andrae Alexander will return to Cayman to lead the introductory songwriting workshop at LionFish Studios on Saturday 4th November.

To register for the Conference, Workshops and/or Songwriting Camps, to purchase tickets for the events or see the lineups for the stages, visit www.cool-out.com . Discount codes are available for IAEL and SONA members, aspiring artists, and full-time students by contacting info@cool-out.com .