Presenting: Lauryn Hill, Boyz II Men, Wyclef Jean, United We Funk Featuring The Dazz Band, Lakeside & ConFunkShun & a Night of Comedy!

Aruba Pulsates with Rhythms from Musical Powerhouses As Island Hosts Record-Breaking Grammy Winners & Comedians Alike May 25 - 30 Oranjestad, Aruba (BlackNews.com) - The island where happiness lives is proud to announce the fifth annual Soul Beach Music Festival, which promises to deliver five days filled with pulsating rhythms and grooves! The Soul Beach Music Festival transforms the hottest spot in the Caribbean, Aruba, into a music lovers playground this Memorial Day weekend (May 25-30) featuring performances by numerous Grammy Award winners and a fun-filled night of comedy.

With the mesmerizing beats of the great Lauryn Hill, to the magical harmonies of hit-makers Boyz II Men, to the lyrical genius of Wyclef Jean, the island paradise serves up an unforgettable musical extravaganza! The mix of musical talents on hand for the fifth annual Soul Beach Music Festival includes multiple Grammy Awards winners, chart-topping musical history makers and some of the most critically acclaimed artists in the recording industry.

On Saturday, May 28, R&B and hip-hop legend, Wyclef Jean, performs alongside United We Funk featuring the Dazz Band, Lakeside and ConFunkShun. Both Lauryn Hill and Boyz II Men hit the stage on Sunday night, May 29.

Groundbreaker, Lauryn Hill, touted as the mother of hip-hop invention, was the first woman ever to win five Grammys at the 1999 Grammy Awards, including top prize for Album of the Year. Not only have musical icons, Boyz II Men, been called the most successful R&B group of all time, but they also have been involved in three of the longest running number-one pop singles in history blending their unique and remarkable harmonies.

An evening of comedy on Friday, May 27 will add to the excitement of the spectacular weekend with fantastically funny performances by comedians Mike Epps, Alex Thomas, Brandon T. Jackson and Horace HB Sanders. Aruba-devotees will enjoy a night full of knee-slapping live comedy as the appetizer followed by two incredible nights of star-studded musical events hosted by Doug E Fresh and featuring special guest D.J. Biz Markie.

Aruba is proud to host the fifth annual Soul Beach Music Festival as this years lineup is truly exceptional, said Minister of Tourism and Transportation Edison Briesen. It has been a pleasure working with Mark Adkins and his production team on the four previous festivals and with the overwhelming success of Soul Beach in the past, the island is gearing up for another stellar event this Memorial Day weekend.

"It's been truly incredible to watch the Soul Beach Music Festival grow and receive such a great response from both artists and fans," said Mark Adkins, producer of Soul Beach Music Festival. What started out as an idea to share the show with a large audience has evolved into an exclusive Caribbean destination attraction for music lovers.

Tickets prices are $65 per concert or $180 for a three-night package (plus applicable service charges), and can be purchased through Alken Tours at 800-221-6686 or Liberty Travel at 1.888.218.8200, or online at www.soulbeach.net. Air-inclusive hotel packages, including Soul Beach tickets, are also available via the above travel retailers.

For more information on the fifth annual Soul Beach Music Festival in Aruba please call 1.800.TO.ARUBA or visit www.aruba.com or www.soulbeachmusicfestival.com Aruba, where happiness lives, is truly a vacationer's paradise.

Located only two-and-a-half hours by air from Miami and four hours from New York City, the island is ideally situated outside the hurricane belt and boasts year-round cooling trade winds and perfect weather with average annual temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and less than 20 inches of rainfall per year.

Aruba serves up 27 luxurious hotels/resorts, championship golf courses, sumptuous spas, vibrant casinos, extraordinary international cuisine, exclusive shops and boutiques, exciting land and water activities, unique cultural to-dos, world-famous music festivals and events and more.

Raking up the accolades, Aruba is consistently recognized as one of the top honeymoon hot-spots in the world and was the first destination ever to offer an Online Bridal Registry which allows couples to register for honeymoon components online. The island is also the perfect family escape. Arubas Palm Beach was recently ranked the number five most family-friendly beach in the world by the Travel Channels Worlds Best Beaches.

Additionally, Aruba offers an extraordinary lineup of One Cool programs that meet the growing demand for diverse vacations. The One Cool programs offer thousands of dollars in savings on a bevy of attractions and services throughout the year.

Programs include the One Cool Culinary and Culture, One Cool Adventure and Nightlife, One Cool Golf and Spa, One Cool Family Vacation and One Cool Honeymoon. The backdrop of a pristine tropical escape coupled with the unforgettable hospitality of the islands people keep Arubas first-time guests delighted and its repeat visitor rate at 40%, the highest of any Caribbean destination.

For more information on planning a trip to Aruba, contact the Aruba Tourism Authority at 1-800-TO-ARUBA or visit www.aruba.com

Host sponsors of the Soul Beach Music Festival are the Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA), Microsoft Corporation, Black Enterprise and American Airlines. Sponsored locally by: SETAR, De Palm Tours and TEXACO.

Primary Host Hotels for the Soul Beach Music Festival are Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Radisson Aruba Beach Resort & Casino, Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Aruba and the Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort, Spa & Casino, Secondary Host Hotels Sponsors are the Hyatt Regency Aruba and Divi Resorts.