Latin Jazz Festival Mixes Music, Style and Family Fun

The organizers of the recent inaugural MAJI Latin Jazz Festival & Fashion Show in San Juan Capistrano were aiming for an eclectic experience.

They hit their target. Besides smooth tunes and contemporary duds, there was good food and lots for the kids to do.

While parents listened to musicians such as headliners Johnny Blas and Al McKibbon on the Oaks Equestrian Center grounds, their children had their faces painted and went nuts in moon bouncers, those inflatable rooms that kids can’t seem to get enough of.

“We tried to create a family day,” said Charlie Shark, a spokesman for MAJI Ltd., the clothing company that produced the event. “We wanted to mix a lot of mediums, which seemed to work.

“The kids, they were really stoked. As soon as they saw the moon bouncers, they said, ‘Oh, bouncy things!’ ”

For adults, the interest centered on jazz and fashion. Performers included the Jason Wilkins Quartet, the Bobby Redfield Latin Jazz Band, Missiles of October and Tony Guerrero. Styles by MAJI and Tommy Bahama made up the bulk of the fashion show.

Although the event drew only about 1,300 people (organizers were hoping for 2,500), Shark said MAJI plans to stage the event every year.

“We were a little disappointed [with the turnout], but we know we have to build the event each year, making it bigger,” he said. “A lot of people told us it was a killer event. We really want to turn it into a major jazz festival. That’s what we’ll be working on.”