Acura Drives Into New Orleans as Sponsor of Jazz Fest 2000
27 April 2000
Acura Drives Into New Orleans as Sponsor of Jazz Fest 2000TORRANCE, Calif., April 26 Acura will be the main stage sponsor at this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival which opens Friday, April 28 and runs through Sunday, May 7. This is the first year Acura is involved with this event, which is celebrating its 31st year as the world's largest music festival, hosting more than 500,000 music lovers of jazz, blues, rock and everything in between. "Acura is proud to be sponsoring such a historically renowned event like the Jazz & Heritage Festival," said Dick Colliver, Executive Vice President, Acura Division. "This event allows us to align ourselves with Acura owners to complement their lifestyle and to more accurately gauge what they want and need from our cars." The main Acura stage is one of twelve stages where performances are scheduled, and will play host to various artists including: Sting, Lenny Kravitz, The Allman Brothers Band, The O'Jays, Erykah Badu, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Temptations, Dr. John, Liquid Soul, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, John Hiatt, Jimmy Cliff and The Neville Brothers. In addition, Acura will present a state-of-the-art, multi-vehicle exhibit celebrating the spirit of the Festival, allowing attendees see the full line of Acura premium performance vehicles including the newly redesigned 2001 CL luxury performance coupe and the upcoming MDX luxury sport utility vehicle. The festival first began in 1970 under the direction of producer George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and numerous other festivals worldwide. The inaugural festival featured 300 musicians, including Duke Ellington, Mahalia Jackson and Al Hirt, who entertained audience members in New Orleans' historic Congo Square. Today, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival attracts music lovers from across the globe and features music genres from bluegrass to rock to country to jazz. In addition to the upcoming MDX luxury sport utility vehicle on display at the Jazz Festival, Acura offers a full line of premium performance vehicles, including the mid-engine NSX exotic supercar, the 3.5 RL flagship luxury sedan, the best-selling 3.2 TL luxury performance sedan, the all-new 3.2 CL luxury performance coupe, and the fun-to-drive Integra. No other luxury manufacturer offers this diverse range of premium performance vehicles.