Photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
LEFT: Lovindeer reminded the crowd of yesteryear with his hit 'Wild Gilbert'
CENTRE: LUST puts in a hearty performance.
RIGHT: Voicemail treated a packed National Stadium to some of their hit songs.
Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer
The large turnout at the National Stadium was raised to its feet by spirited performances from some of Jamaica's popular musical stalwarts last Thursday evening. It was a spectacle, it was nostalgia, it was euphoria.
Taking a break from their tour, Byron Lee's Dragonaires, in their first appearance in Jamaica since the death of their legendary leader, Byron Lee, rocked the stadium. Under the guidance of new band leader, Neville Hines, they served the receptive audience hit after hit, such as I Man Born Yah, It Must Be A Duppy and Ram Goat Liver by Pluto Shervington, and Ernie Smith, as well as hits by other greats, such as Tinga Stewart. When the audience was invited to stand for the rendition of Sammy Dead, it did so readily. In closing, the band further electrified the already screaming audience with Di War Mus Done.
Give Thanks and Praises
But the wave of nostalgia and euphoria was initiated by Roy Rayon and Eric Donaldson, past Festival Song winners. Donaldson was great in his rendition of a medley of his Festival Songs, including the ever-popular Cherry Oh Baby. And when Rayon returned to the stage to deliver his most popular Give Thanks and Praises, the audience was already on its feet.
Lloyd Lovindeer with Wild Gilbert and Pocomania Day managed to generate enough excitement before the quartet LUST took over. They entertained the audience with the likes of Let It Be Me and Just As I am. And when they sang the first line of Michael Jackson's Heal The World, the audience became the back-up singers. Their rendition, a tribute to Jackson in recognition of his artistic contribution, was supported by video images of the pop star on a large screen. The tribute ended with the lights fading and the face of the 'King of Pop' on the screen. LUST was joined in the tribute to Jackson by the Eltham Dance Theatre Company. Pyrotechnics were used to add to the aura.
Audience was ecstatic
MC Richard Burgess had everyone in the stadium reaching for his or her phones when he said "check phones for mail", teasing them as he introduced the group Voicemail. The audience was ecstatic. The group led the responsive audience through a series of dance movements.
There was also a performance from 2009 Festival Song winner, Winston Hussey, and the artistes were backed by In2Nation band.
But the most spectacular act of the celebration was reserved for 'man and machine'.
To screams from the audience, 10 riders, five at each end of the field, performed some daring stunts (only rivalled by their stage names, Cutter, Mad Dog and School Boy) while others rode around to the rhythm of the music.
Some of the dancing was provided by entrants in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission dance competition.
Last Thursday's Independence Grand Gala, which culminated a week of celebrations, was a show of sheer creativity, a festival of colours and costumes and a montage of talents combined to retell some aspects of Jamaican history.
The National Stadium was filled to capacity, some spilling into the nearby National Arena.
The best of students who performed in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival of the Performing Arts and other related performing groups came together to reinforce the theme 'Preserving The Positive And Shaping The Future'.
The best was presented in the segment 'Waves of Changes', a dance drama that begins with an idyllic setting of rolling waters, captured by a group of young dancers in the ideal costumes, to the present - a Jamaica riddled with crime and violence. The Michael Holgate-penned script also included the arrival of the Europeans and the emancipation of Africans.
Brer Anansi
The dance component was beautifully choreographed by Neila Ebanks and well performed by a mixed group of high school students. In a creative move, Ebanks used the Maypole folk dance to show the celebration by the freed slaves, but replaced the customary pole with the Jamaican folk tale character, Brer Anansi.
'Waves of Changes' was danced to live music performed by another combined effort of various choirs and bands. Conductors Winston Ewart (vocals) and Hugh Douse (instruments), along with their charges, produced lively entertainment as they performed revival and folk songs. Another fascinating feature of this segment was the incorporation of riddles in the narrative. Narration was done by storyteller Amina Blackwood-Meeks.
Jamaicans were challenged to be fit in 'Cheers', "a spectacle combining dance and acrobatics", presented by Jam Fit Cheerleaders. The choreographers were spot on in avoiding split focus. The routine began with small groups placed strategically around the football field, doing timely alternated flips. Each flip produced loud sounds of "Ahh!" from the captivated audience. The small groups merged into three large clusters and the acrobatics became bolder and the screams of appreciation louder.
In Michael Holgate's choreographed 'Dinky Tory', homage to one of Jamaica's traditional dance forms, Dinki Mini, 150 children delighted the audience with the various Dinki Mini movements.. Their small frames appeared larger by brightly coloured Denise Francis Robinson-designed costumes.
And when the curtains came down on 'Costume Revelry' (five groups totalling 1,000 revellers from various communities and sponsored by different business entities), the audience and performers gave Grand Gala 2K9 a thumbs-up.
'Excellent'
Nine-year-old Shanae Sewell enjoyed the experience; teacher Normadell Webley thought this year was better, and Diedre Martin remarked that it was "excellent, every sector was catered for".
The nation was also saluted with wonderful presentations by the smartly dressed Jamaica Defence Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force bands and Corps of Drums; a fantastic drill display by the blue-clad Jamaica Combined Cadet Force and Corps of Drums; and an energetic and well-coordinated performance by the marching bands from Tivoli, St Jude's and the Magnificent Troopers Marching Band.
- M.R.