The allure of Jamaica Jazz & Blues

Just like how her music relative Machel Mantano dominated the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival last year, soca queen Alison Hinds wore her crown well and injected a carnival-like energy in the Greenfield Stadium to steal the show on Thursday night.

The whining and gyrating never stopped until she exited the stage at 2:30am after giving the jazz crowd more than an hour worth of sizzling performance. From the moment she walked on stage she made her intentions clear that she was going to transform the stadium in Trelawny into carnival scene that she hoped her fans were able to handle. The crowd stepped up to the challenge as when they were not busy singing along with Hinds, they were busy waving their rags or whatever they could find and dancing to the soca notes that evoked the need to move their waist.

With songs like Faluma, Caution and Roll It to name a few, the Barbadian-born musician, who was performing at the music festival for the first time, had patrons eating out her hands and scored huge response when she solicited a male patron to join her onstage to showcase his dancing skills.

The musical diversity of Jamaica’s premium music festival was evident with the presence of Ron Isley who came to the stage prior to the carnival infusion by Hinds.

With his suave persona that flowed as smooth as how he sounds, the man dubbed a ‘Mr. Big’ slowly but confidently walked on stage 12 a.m. looking quite dapper with his black and gold cane  and a distinguished allure to please fans with his performance. Despite performing for over an hour, time was not sufficient for this music icon, who is celebrating over 50 years of music, to sing all his hit songs.

Isley’s appearance at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues had the audience in a trance of musical splendor and his sensual female stage props gave him all the more credit in the eyes of his fans on his ability to offer timeless entertainment.

The Get There singer Brenda Russell who shared the stage with Phil Perry and the Paul Peress could do no wrong even though her performance was Only For One Night.

Fifteen years after she did the international smash hit Shy Guy, Diana King reigned supreme at her first appearance at the 15^th staging of the festival. Her vocal range gave the audience goose pimples as she gave a superb set. She did more than just Say A Little Prayer and it was just enough for her fans.

Earlier performances from Digicel Rising Stars’ Nickeisha Barnes and Camael Davis were crowd pleasers to set the precedence of the great acts which followed

Jazzing it up with youths

“The older audience have not stopped spending!” according to Junior Taylor of Turnkey Productions as he cleared the air on the thrust to lure younger fans to the 15^th staging of Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival.

“I think the reality of it is that each group is changing because 15 years ago young people then were 25 or 30 year olds who came to Jazz. They are now much older than that so instead of only catering to them alone we’ve still had to be offering entertainment to youths of today” Taylor noted in an interview at the launch of Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival at the Palmyra Resort and Spa in Montego Bay.

The American rock band Maroon 5 is expected to make their debut at the music festival on Friday, January 28. The quintet, who has a huge international following of young fans, are best known for their hit singles This Love, She Will Be Loved, Harder to Breathe, Sunday Morning, Makes Me Wonder.

“With every passing year the span of audience being catered to is growing. So a Maroon5 allows us to interact with the younger audience whom we will develop and continue a relationship for the next 15 years” Taylor further added.

Maroon 5 have won three Grammy Awards and have sold over 15 million albums worldwide. Their third album Hans All Over is now out.

With the introduction of this band, Taylor noted that it is not that the older folks are not spending but just that “Turnkey wants to ensure that there is a very good balance between the two so that we don’t upset the people who has been supporting us over the years but encourage the young people to support us”.

 The Gleaner-sponsored Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival runs from January 23-29. The festival will see the likes of Ron Isley, Diana King, Brenda Russell, Alison Hinds, Phil Perry and Paul Peress on Thursday night. Friday night will see the multi-platinum group Maroon 5, Regina Belle, Tavares, SWV and Richie Stephens. The final night on Saturday patrons will be treated to Natalie Cole, Air Supply, Laura Izibor, Committed, Silver Birds Steel and Orchestra.

More Culture Education Needed!

Opposition spokesman on education Basil Waite is lobbying for the inclusion of mandatory cultural lessons within the schools’ curriculum to help preserve Jamaica rich heritage that is being eroded by popular culture.

During a brief presentation at the 273^rd annual Accompong Maroon Celebrations in Accompong Town, St. Elizabeth on Thursday Waite argued that it is “we need more of this kind of history being studied in our schools because it is through such medium where a greater appreciation for what is taking place here today and understanding as to what some of our descendants fought for”.

The annual Accompong Maroon celebration is held on January 6 to commemorate the birthday of former Maroon leader Cudjoe. He fought with the British for decades before signing a peace treaty in 1738.The celebration begins with the blowing of the abeng, summoning all the Maroons to assemble like they did more than 270 years ago. The abeng is an old powder horn adapted from its use for carrying musket powder to an instrument used to communicate with Maroons over many miles in the Cockpit terrain.

It was in this view where Senator Wait, who is also a descendent of a Maroon, revealed that he will be strongly lobbying parliament to ensure that the well-documented Maroon history is included in the syllabus from the elementary up to secondary.

The United States of America Ambassador to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater commended the Jamaica’s Maroon communities for preserving much of the African culture.

“Communities that preserve traditions often face challenges in the form of outside influence and pressure to change. Finding that balance is something only you and your leaders can do but as you chart your path, know that the United States underscores the need for all governments to respect the human rights of all citizens, including indigenous and minority populations and others with diverse lifestyles”.

Nonetheless, the Accompong Town Maroons have charted a path toward the continuation of their cultural legacy through the formation of their Accompong Maroon Junior Council.

According to the maroon chief Ferron Williams “our history needs to be preserved and one such way to do that is through our youths. As such the formation of a Junior Council was necessary in order to continue our traditions. As elders, we alone cannot accomplish the task of cultural preservation and so our young ones must be given the opportunity to continue what we have over the years”.

This year’s staging of the celebrations saw a noticeable decline in the number of international visitors who are normally drawn to the event because of its history. Last year persons from England, Canada, the United States and even Kenya attended the major calendar event in St Elizabeth.

A solution to improve this dismal international turnout was touted by Senator Waite who encouraged the organizers of the celebration to target more persons from the African Diaspora to come and partake in the proceedings.