So has Arturo Sandoval.

Even Branford Marsalis, the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra were a part of it.

They're all past performers at the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts - Bermuda's biggest international cultural event.

Thirty-five years ago, Governor of Bermuda the late Sir Edwin Leather, the late Lord Menuhin and the late John Ellison joined to start the first Bermuda Festival. They wanted to create an internationally acclaimed showcase of artists - singers, dancers, musicians and actors.

Since then the Festival has grown to become one of the year's most anticipated events. Every January and February artists are welcomed to the island with eager crowds and sold-out shows.

This year, performances include Ailey II, the junior company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; classical vocal quartet Blake; American soprano Carole Farley; and Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers.

Festival performers often take part in the event more than once - such is the case with South African actress Thembi Mtshali-Jones who performed in the 2007 Bermuda Festival. This year, she's back in Mother To Mother, a one-woman play loosely based on the murder of American Fullbright scholar Amy Biehl in Cape Town's Gugulethu township.

Other highlights this year include:

• ZooZoo, which brings animals and birds to life through costumes and masks
• Jon Faddis and his Jazz Orchestra of New York, an unbeatable jazz experience with one of the legends of the industry
• and Proof, presented by the Walnut Street Theatre, described as a drama of finely splintered family dynamics and a mystery about the true nature of genius.

For the first time, this year the Festival will be accompanied by an art exhibition at Bermuda Society of Arts in City Hall.

Festival Impressions is a look back - and a deeper insight into - the local artists that have made the Festival what it is today.

Festival directors often commission a local artist for their programmes and publicity material. These works will be on display during the exhibition.

There will also be live performances from local musicians on February 3rd and 10th at 7pm. A special talk on orchestra conducting will be given by visiting maestro José Serebier on February 17th at 7pm, with live music beforehand starting at 6:30pm.

Admission to all Festival Impressions events are free but tickets for the talk must be booked in advance through the Festival office at 295-1291.

Think you could choose a better Festival lineup? The Bermuda Festival has a 'Recommend an Artist' form on their website, where you can let them know which artists you'd like to see perform.

For more details on the Bermuda Festival and ticket info visit www.bermudafestival.org or www.bdatix.bm or tel. 232-2255 for a brochure. Tickets are also available at these festival box office locations: All Wrapped Up Home, Washington Mall, Hamilton and Fabulous Fashions at the Heron Bay Plaza, Southampton. Tickets are $65 for adults, $25 for students.