Hi, I'm a Singer/Songwriter/Bass player with a Country/Rock n Roll Oldies act and would Love to come to San Pedro to perform,..I'm wondering if there are venues,..and local musicians that would be interested in collaborating? I'd be very grateful for any help/feedback to make some connections to make this happen.

I don't know if you are the same fellow who emailed me last week with this question, but I will give you the same answer I gave him. Like any job in Belize, bartender, waiter, etc, to perform as a musician in Belize you need a Work Permit or you must be a Permanent Resident. As a tourist, you can go to Immigration and Labour and get the paperwork and it takes approximately 2 months to process. Of course, there are no guarantees that you will be approved. A bar that hires for pay or allows a musician to work/volunteer without a work permit runs the risk of being fined as much as $10,000.00, losing their liquor license and possible jail time, as does the tourist. A bar can also sponsor a work permit for a musician to work in that bar, and that bar only. But like taxi drivers, vendors, hair dressers, realtors, doctors, veterinarians and dentists, musicians also need to have the proper visas to work/volunteer in Belize. Hope this helps.

Well said!

Looks like the welcome wagon is out in full force, Thanks for your sincerity and honesty, see y'all soon!!!, Yee-Haaa!!!

Never understood the popularity of country music on the island. Don't get me wrong but I love to hear live music performed with a steady funky groove and strong singers with good intonation. As a musician, I would like to hear some salsa, Cuban jazz, or anything else that promotes the culture of the Caribbean.

There was an excellent Cuban band here a few years back, they played some of the resorts and bars. But they could not get steady work on the island and went to play on the Mainland. Crazy Canucks has a more local flair on Monday nights, Punta and such. But Belize LOVES country music.
Country Boy, you would be very welcome to play at one of the jams about town, Thursday and Saturday at the Palapa, Sunday at Crazy Canucks and I don't know if Legends still has Tuesday nights as a jam or not. Friday in Caye Caulker offers a wonderful open mic for all musicians, and it is just a 20 minute boat ride away. Some local musicians will let visitors sit on on a few during regular gigs, as long as the bar does not mind, so there is the opportunity get to know the music scene here. Bring your guitar, sit in for a few and enjoy yourself.

Slight correction: Friday nights on Caulker are a open jam with guests welcome to sit in with the house band. There was an open mic night on Tuesdays (also at the Barrier Reef Sports Bar) but I'm not sure if that's still happening.

Country music is popular amongst the locals because growing up in the 60-90s, some only had AM radio for entertainment, especially out in the bush. So nights were spent listening to AM country stations out of texas and all over the country.

You can come to Belize and sit in, but you can't work paid or unpaid. To me "work" means something steady or on a schedule, so dont see a problem just sitting in at a few gigs here and there.

Who's the house band for the jam on C.C?

Good question on the name! I don't know if they have a name. But they play every week with a few changes between high and low season.

I am not sure who the jam band is in Caye Caulker now, though I heard there are two jams over there now, with one at The Sports bar and one at the Split. Any info on this, Noelle? All I know is the one at the Sports Bar rocks.