Sunset Rhythms: A Night of Jazz on the Caribbean Coast

The air smelled like salt and gardenia. A double bass leaned against a palm tree, waiting. Somewhere behind the stage — which was really just a wooden platform on the sand — a trumpet player warmed up, sending golden notes spiraling into the darkening sky.

The Setting

There is no venue quite like the beach at Puerto Morelos at sunset. The sky turns from turquoise to amber to deep violet in the space of twenty minutes, and the barrier reef — just 500 metres offshore — catches the last light like a line of fire on the water.

We set up the stage facing the sea. No walls. No ceiling. Just sand underfoot and stars overhead. The audience arrived on foot, on bicycles, a few by boat. Folding chairs and blankets appeared. Children ran between the rows. Someone lit a fire pit.

The Music

The set opened with a trio: piano, bass, and brushes on a snare drum. They played something slow and meandering — a tune that felt like the tide coming in. Nobody rushed. The music breathed with the waves.

By the second set, the full quintet was on stage. A local saxophonist from Cancún joined a guitarist from New Orleans and a singer from Mexico City. The cross-pollination was immediate and electric. They traded fours over a son jarocho rhythm, and when the trumpet came in over the top, the crowd erupted.

The Crowd

This is what makes Puerto Morelos different from every other festival on the Riviera Maya: the audience. Fishermen sat next to tourists. A family from Mérida shared mezcal with a couple from Montreal. Nobody checked their phones — the Wi-Fi was terrible, and nobody cared.

Between sets, people wandered to the food stands along the malecón for tacos al pastor and fresh ceviche. The conversation was easy, unhurried, multilingual. A jazz festival in a fishing village sounds like a contradiction, but here it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Looking Ahead

This night reminded us why we started the festival in the first place: not for ticket sales or Instagram moments, but for the simple human act of sitting together, listening, and letting music do what music does.

Next year's jazz night is already in the planning stages. The trumpet player from the third set has already confirmed his return. We can't wait to share it with you.

Nos vemos en la playa. 🎺