All about Flow

If persons in Montego Bay expected a low-keyed inaugural opening of the state-of-the art Flow store over the weekend then the ultra-VIP party on Friday and then a major stage on Saturday must have been a dream.

Flow made no exception and pulled out all the stops to ensure that the presence in the second city was felt over the weekend and to cement their commitment to their investment in expanding in western Jamaica.

The lightening speed internet provider transformed the Fairview Shopping area into a den of entertainment on Friday to ensure that their specially invited guests partied in style and luxury. From the décor to the exquisite culinary delights courtesy of Ashbere guests were entertained under the allure No-Maddz band.

No-Maddz band

The unique sound and style of music by the dub poet musicians No-Maddz quickly gain traction among the guests who showed deep interest in what these musicians had to say. The members, who are also stars in the Better Mus Come Jamaican movie now in theatres, performed their hit single Rise Above Profanity which earned them some cheers for their ingenuity.

Among those who attended the VIP cocktail event were Minister of Education Andrew Holness, Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett, Water and Housing Minister Dr. Horace Chang, Member of Parliament for West Central St. James Clive Mullings , Mark Kerr-Jarrett and his wife Paula, renowned cardiologist Dr. Claudine Lewis among several other social elites in Montego Bay.

Flow’s store opening fete culminated over the weekend with a free concert performance from Lady Saw and Konshens to official stamp their presence in the second city.

Fueled on I-Octane

Fast rising reggae and dancehall entertainer I-Octane easily stole show at the Fuel Cell Energy Drink’s Honouring Dancehall Heroes fete at the Jungle in Negril over the Heroes weekend.

Every since his stellar performance at this year staging of Reggae Sumfest I-Octane has kept going, fuelled with positive music and delivering at each live performance that he attends and entertaining fans at the Jungle was not different.

The Lose A Friend musician and the new face of Digicel promotional campaign seemed to have sipped on a Fuel Cell Energy Drink before entering onstage to a entertain a capacity-filled Jungle showground as his high energy  performance continued untamed throughout his near 20- minute stint. From Mama Yu Alone to his recent hit My Life his message resonated with patrons some of who journeyed from as far as the United Kingdom to indulge in this celebration of musical excellence.

His timing onstage came after emcee Ragashanti announced that the highly anticipated performance from the ‘doctor’ Beenie Man would not materialize as he was in Africa and could not be at the stage show. However I-Octane’s performance made up for that shortcoming.

No Beenie, no problem as while not originally billed to perform at the event, international reggae star Jah Cure gave the audience a superb consolation prize package of entertainment that had patrons shouting for more after his performance.

Making his entrance on the Drop Leaf Rhythm that is shared with TOK (who was also onstage when he made his entry), Jah Cure told his fans why he was Longing For his time to perform for his fans who continues to support his musical endevours.  Though shorter than most would have liked, Cure showed his fans Unconditional Love that they will never forget.  With To Your Arms Of Love and Call on Me Jah Cure continued to show his dominance and unyielding presence in the music industry.

Dancehall group TOK was entertaining and while they had to work through a series of technical difficulties with the microphone, the group rebounded to give patrons a performance worth seeing.

Bounty Killer was his usual lyrically witty self but did mostly hits from the early and late 90s that had the crowd engaged in a sing along. Not to be outdone, his dancehall protégé Mavado was brilliant. There was not enough time for Stulla artiste to give his large catalogue of hits nonetheless Mavado did his best to keep fans enthralled with what little time he had to perform.

A Smirnoff Dream at Yush party

 

Sounds of the 90s were never as musically entertaining as it was at the Dream Weekend Yush beach party at Margaritaville in Negril over Emancipation weekend.

As one of the signature events of Dream Weekend the mega beach party was a haven for great entertainment and with five premium bars partygoers were able to get responsibly intoxicated by the delicious Smirnoff mix drinks available.

From as early as 10 p.m. ‘Dreamers’ began pouring into the venue to ensure that they had an opportunity to experience this ultra all-inclusive party event which did not disappoint on its bid to keep the crowd dancing until the last song stopped playing at minutes past 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

Every 30 minutes ZJ Liquid along with members of Renaissance and Coppershot sound system interchanged music of the 90s and current hits from dancehall and hip hop but it was the sounds from the 90s that had the crowd in constant frenzy and showed that music from that era is still relevant and appreciated.

Members of the dancehall fraternity showed that Yush was the place to be as Wayne Marshall and Bounty Killer enjoyed the musical spins by ZJ Liquid along with members of Renaissance and Coppershot from the high-level VIP area.

Following a successful performance at this year’s Reggae Sumfest dancehall artiste Aidonia made a special appearance at Yush and his presence was electrifying.

With tracks like Bad People and War Time Aidonia had the crowd rocking to his hits which required him to do several encore. However, was his song Uku Bit which sent the ladies in frenzy and had them gyrating until his 10 minute performance came to a close.

Dancer turned deejay Chi Ching Ching made everyone know that “we party everyday”. Nonetheless, he made some valid points about satisfying with whatever it is one has in life.

“If mi a drink Hennessy and yu a drink Heineken, drink wha yu have! If mi have Clarks and yu have on Nike Air, wear wha yu have!” the entertainer reiterated  in reference to satisfying with what or who you have to much applause from the audience.

ATI close in fine style

It was sounds of musical greatest from several local and international music selectors to bring ATI’s Stages to exhilarating end following days of non-stop partying along the Norman Boulevard strip in Negril.

From Black Chiney, Tony Matterhorn, DJ Karyzma to VJ Elite, Renaissance and Miami-based selector Renegade the ultra all inclusive Stages party delivered on the expectations to provide a variety of musical entertainment for patrons.

Absolute Entertainment, the promoter of the ATI series of parties transformed the lawns of Yaard Negril into a den of entertainment. VIP band holders had an opportunity to experience exclusivity at its best when the air-conditioned Red Bull-sponsored VIP was created to feel as if one was in a nightclub.

The usual pile up of traffic which created hours of traffic nightmare each year in Negril was absent as there were strictly enforce no parking along the roadway. In turn, this was excellent news for partygoers who were able to get to their respective parties in time with little or no hassle.

According to Alex Chin of Absolute Entertainment this year saw each party for ATI being hosted at different locations. This logic, he noted was “to offer patrons a different experience each night, so person did not have to come back to the same venue of each event. We wanted everyone to feel a different vibe every day”.

He further added that the line-up of music selectors was much more varied than in previous years. This he noted was to ensure that the events did not become monotonous when you have the same disc jockeys playing at every event.

“One of the complains that we had was that there was too much of the same music selection being played at each event, so we decided to change it up a bit this year and added others into the mix and it has worked well so far” Chin explained.

Dubbed the Pathway to Paris the final party Dolcè offered a fashionable close to four days of untamed entertainment.

ATI Photo Highlights

Well this young lady seem to know a lot about aerodynamics

Designer Ernesto and his models at ATI  in Negril

Elephant Man at ATI's Stages party in Negril

ATI beauties

Keeping it simple at ATI party in Negril

Naked Fun at ATI's Impy Skimpy

More party space, less clothes equated to a great vibe at the ATI’s Impy Skimpy kick-off party in Negril over the Emancipation weekend which set the pace for what was an excellent weekend of partying.

The usual pile up of traffic that almost became synonymous with the staging of the annual events in Negril was absent on Friday night as there were strictly enforce no parking along the roadway. In turn, this was excellent news for partygoers who were able to get to their respective parties in time with little or no hassle.

Not even the presence of Olympic and World champion track star Usain Bolt could have the party vibe ending quickly as Tony Matterhorn had the capacity filled Wavz Beach dancing to hits of his own along with Vybz Kartel and Beenie Man.

With more party space than was available last year to jump start the ATI party, loyal fans and newcomers to ATI took advantage of the open space that filled rapidly as music thudded through the speakers and the invitation of selectors encouraging persons to come in and share the vibe.

Among the list of ATI activities that are expected to offer an exhilarating experience over the July 30- August 2 weekend are Tempted Glow, Pretty in Pink, Wildsides, Stages and Dolce.

With Hyperlink selectors at the helm of earlier musical entertainment, female patrons were the epitome of bare as you dare as many skimpily clad ladies and their enthused male counterparts were given an opportunity to excite their entertainment crave.

 As avid party goers toss their shoes aside and massaged their toes in the sand DJ Kentucky took patrons back to basics with the classics of hip hop and dancehall favourites.

 

Now 10 years-old ATI has shown how much they have matured with the excellent production and quality of parties that the offer to their patrons and drawing thousands of Jamaicans and tourist to the town of Negril annually to participate is what is described as the best parties in one weekend.

 

Sumfest on the Beach

An energetic dose of great entertainment was injected in the Cornwall Beach venue in Montego Bay when the weeklong music festival Reggae Sumfest hosted their beach party to kick start the musical activities.

It was not a ‘bare as you dare’ type of party on the beach but the Errol Lee and the Bare Essentials Band undressed the crowd’s appetite for excellent entertainment and it helped to keep the night interesting as they did their set at regular intervals of the show. The group’s aptitude for performing held the Sumfest crowd’s attention and had patrons dancing to reggae, soca and dancehall.

Early bird performers such as the group Soul 4 Soul and new artiste Notorious powered their way with their vocals to entertain locals and tourist alike who came out for a great package of upcoming dancehall and reggae acts. Thug Ras did a short but effective stint onstage while Mixing Lab had emcee Ms. Kitty dancing to his beats.

In her first appearance on the Reggae Sumfest stage 2010 Magnum Queen of Dancehall winner Bumpa gave an excellent performance which earned her a place in the music industry.

“It was good” an outspoken Bumpa told The STAR after her performance. “It’s not my first major show but it is my first time performing on the Sumfest stage and it went well, I still have a lot of work to do but overall I am pleased with the performance and the response I got from the crowd” the female artiste concluded.

Life is not as dread anymore for the Magnum King of Dancehall Press Fyah who had the crowd rocking to his single Life So Dread. His smooth but effective take on his musical endevours continue to see his fan base grow as he displayed his onstage versatility in mixing a bit of his deejaying skills in his performance.

Dance Xpressions gave an energetic dance performance while comedians Ity and Fancy Cat had locals and tourist rolling on the sand with laughter which earned them and encore. Brown Sugar closed the beach party in fine style as she showed with her powerful vocals and stage presence.

The allure of Dream Girls

Montego Bay fell under the allure of the Dream Girls models during the Dream Girls Fashion Show as lingerie for both men and women offered a risqué approach to activities in the bedroom.

The Cariblue Hotel in the second city was transformed into a mega arena for the fashion demonstration. The feeling of being at an international fashion show took over Montego Bay, as the professional coordination of the high catwalk was like that of its international counterparts.

The stage, which was constructed in the centre of the pool, unleashed several provocative apparels from swim wear, elegant wear and lingerie line of Dream Girls Clothing.

It was not difficult to notice how excited males kept their eyes glued onstage as the female models paced the catwalk. The female patrons were equally engrossed in the proceedings, as male models spared no effort in arousing the excitement of fans.
With Jackie Norman handling emcee duties, it was clear that although Jamaicans love to party, they also have an avid passion for fashion. From sexy to petite to conservative and endearing, Jamaica's culture was projected through this fashion expo.

According to the owner of the Dream Girls line of products Nelcia Salmon “we wanted to bring something new and endearing to Montego Bay, there is a market for it here and we showed that last night. The response to the show has been overwhelming” an excited Salmon explained.

She added that male has also been excluded from these types of apparels (underwear) and it was time to showcase a line of products that males can experiment with and excite their lives a bit within the bedroom.

“We showcased models that are petite, heavy set and average because we wanted persons to relate to the models and not stereotypes. We want persons to feel comfortable in what we offer and getting regular persons to model our line was the best fit” the Dream Girls owner noted.

Matterhorn celebrates in style

Tourists from Canada and the United States of America came to Jamaica to celebrate renowned disc jockey and dancehall artiste Tony Matterhorn's birthday party at Pier One in Montego Bay over the weekend.

According to male fan from the US, "I love his work and his ability to entertain and it is only fitting to come down and celebrate his birthday".

DJ Jigga tried to inject life into the audience in the early segment of the event with a mixture of old and new dancehall songs that had the crowd rocking momentarily but such support dwindled as he concluded his near 30 minute musical stint.

Montego Bay’s ‘Crazy Chris’ and DJ Jigsy were however able to revive the crowd a bit through the heavy thud of hip hop beats as DJ Jigsy paused at regular intervals to talk to the patrons and solicit an active response to music being played.

Razz and Biggy had their high and low points during their juggling but were still able to capture a few dance moves by the ladies who were more eager to hear what Tony Matterhorn had to offer.

Matterhorn, whose real name is Dufton Taylor showed partygoers why he has managed to remain relevant not only as a music selector but as a dancehall artiste. As soon as he touched the turntables he made his presence felt and showed that music is timeless despite the era it was produced. From pop music that was done in the 70s and the 80s, Matterhorn schooled disc jockeys on the importance of musical diversity.

“Some a di deejays these days a pure Gully and Gaza alone unnuh a play, it a get monotonous mek mi show y’all how fi select music” Matterhorn said right before playing Michael Jackson’s 70s hit Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and Madonna’s 1984 hit Like a Virgin.

The birthday boy never failed in his bid to entertain his fans. The selector turned dancehall artiste, interjected as he played his international hit Dutty Wine saying “mi couldn’t come a MoBay and nuh play this” as he deejayed apart of his song but Matterhorn kept patrons partying non-stop until about 5:15 a.m.

UK reconnected with Jamaica

The United Kingdom reconnected with Jamaica through entertainment with the inaugural staging of BritJam in Jamaica’s tourism capital, Montego Bay.

Dubbed the ‘Ultimate Spring Break Party’, BritJam was successful in its efforts to marry entertainment with tourism as the organizers encouraged over 300 British nationals to come, eat, and party in Montego Bay for an entire week .

Brit Jam 2010 kicked off on Monday March 8^th with a Welcome Party at Twisted Kilt which then followed an entire week of theme parties along the Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue) including Catamaran Cruise parties. However, BritJam climaxed on March 14^th when Vybz Kartel, Ding Dong and Bugle invaded Aqua Sol Theme Park in the second city at the BritJam Fantasy Island (Grand Escape) party. 

The eight days worth of non-stop partying in Montego Bay was intentionally done according to one of the organizer Gay Loi of the United Kingdom to boast arrivals from the UK and to reposition Montego Bay as a party city for locals and tourist alike.

“In Negril during the summer you have the ATI and RTI parties but there is nothing in MoBay during the spring break period so we thought it was necessary for the tourism capital to be restored to the its former glory when the town was abuzz with spring break activities and that what we are trying to do with Brit Jam” Loi explained.

She added that through the success of this year’s staging, BritJam will become an annual event with the intention of pulling even more tourist from the UK to the island. Loi concluded that “when there are more tourists it is good for the economy so we are satisfied with the first staging, there were a few glitches here and there but that’s all apart of the process in developing this into a solid annual event”.

The 'Whizz' came to town

Dancehall sensation G-Whizz reaped havoc at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay on Friday during The Gleaner’s Champs 100 School Tour in preparation for the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls' Championships this year.


Previous performances by upcoming act Raine Seville, Duane Stephenson and Ginjah provided an entertaining appetizer but the hungry appetite of the Herbert Morrison students were satisfied when G-Whizz stepped on stage.
Decked in an orange and silver striped shirt, denim with shoes and belt match his orange coloured shirt a stylist G-Whizz told the students that is was okay to Make Money as he engaged them in a sing-a-long. 

As if that was not enough he showcased his versatility when he did a rendition of Chris Brown’s hit song With You song. In a bid to interact more with the crowd he tried walking the corridors of the school but he did not get far as group of zealous female students bombarded him with flashing cameras and rushing hugs from this musical star.

His song Forward Mi Ago prepared his audience of screening females for his international ballad Life which speaks of poverty and the need to elevate despite adversities while maintaining strong values. He shared the stage with one of his colleagues who go by the name Brain Damage.
Dance group Shady Squad was also entertaining.


Under the musical influence of selector Cutty from Coppershot sound system, Champs 100 tour sponsors Grace Kennedy, Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) and LIME made sure that students and teachers left the celebrations smiling with gifts they received.


One of the highlights of the celebration came when a female and male teacher engaged in a dance-off competition to the popular hit song Jerk by US-based rappers New Boyz. Both teachers ‘jerked’ their way to winning prizes from telecommunications company LIME.


This was the fifth stop on the tour previous stops included Calabar, Holmwood Technical, St Jago High and St Elizabeth Technical High School.

One female student concurred that the celebrations lived up to its expectations as “from Monday everyone was talking about how Friday is going to be so nice and fun. Today all people who never normally come a school on Fridays was here. I loved it”.

Dancing on a whole new level

From unusual costume designs to high flying dance moves, groups who participated in the elimination show of the Red Label Wine’s Dancin Dynamites in St. Elizabeth on Saturday will need to improve their dance techniques if they are to compete with international dancers.

Dancin Dynamites which is in its fifth staging, saw 10 dance groups showcasing their skills at the Junction Guest House in Junction, St. Elizabeth in a bid to secure one of two positions that are available to move on to the next round.

Host Jenny Jenny injected life in the less than capacity filled audience in Junction with her usual onstage antics as she continued the entertainment package during intermissions.

The highlight of the evening came when St. Elizabeth’s own, the Sunshine Brothers gave a superb performance as they fused Michael Jackson dance moves with dancehall. Target and Garrison Youths represented themselves well which earned them resounding applause from the audience who were hungry for great entertainment. Among the dance groups who performed creditably were G-Squad, Escalade, Mad Flex, T-Squad, G1 Dancers and C-Squad.

However, it was dance groups Target, Garrison Youths and Sunshine Brothers who stood out more for one of the judges Kerry-Ann Henry.

As to whether or not the western leg of the competition lived up to expectations, Henry noted that “Red Label Wine’s Dancin Dynamites is in its fifth year and this is the year when our dancers will be going up against international dancers from the Caribbean and the United States and dancers will have to make sure that every move counts and is precise while entertaining and of the 10 that I saw tonight only three stood out to me because of their execution”.

She added that dancing has always been a Jamaican thing and locals dancers cannot allow dancers from other countries to come and beat them at something Jamaicans are good at. Henry therefore recommends “dancers should tape themselves to see where they are going wrong and how they can improve and tighten their routine”.

The after show session saw upcoming dancehall acts Gramazone and Danger Flex engaging the audience with the original songs  that scored high with crowd.

More from Third World after 37 years

As we celebrate black history month, world-renowned reggae band Third World has decided to celebrate some of our National Heroes through their new album Patriots.

Patriots, which highlights the work of Paul Bogle and Marcus Garvey among others through one of their songs Don’t Give Up, is the group’s 20^th album since they were first signed to Island Records.

The album will be sold online and persons can hear some singles at their website www.thirdworld.com. Third World did a remix of their mega hit 96 Degrees in the Shade featuring Damion and Stephen Marley something Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore of Third World revealed does not change the direction of their music.

“Normally when you have something good, you don’t want to change it but we decided to add these splendid musicians on the track nevertheless. We still maintain the content but we wanted to add something a bit different” Cat explained.

Among the musicians that persons can also expect to hear collaborating on the long awaited album are Tarrus Riley, Toots, Damion and Stephen Marley to name a few.   As it relates to what messages the album will dictate, he added “the Patriots album reflects messages that can be applied in today’s society so persons can expect to hear us address issues related to struggles, love and motivation on this album”

This album launch ties in with their 35th anniversary. The original anniversary celebration was scheduled for 2008 but due to a hectic touring and recording schedule for the Patriots album it was postponed until 2010.

As one of the longest running Reggae bands, relevance is very important to Third World as the sound of music continues to evolve according to bass guitarist Ritchie Daley.

“Our music is timeless and that is what keeps us relevant in today’s music and we would encourage our local musicians to do music that timeless which will ensure longevity and not only limited to just today. There is music today, tomorrow and so there’s always another day for music. At the end of the day we want to know that another generation can appreciate what we have done and continue to do” Ritchie stated. “We hope to be around forever” he joked.

The 'White Witch' still haunts

After months of hard work between actors and the director of the Jane Crichton’s White Witch play, the crew can now breathe a sigh of relief for what many has described as Montego Bay’s best play to date.

According to renowned play director Douglas Prout “I received the manuscript for this play in 2006 from playwright Jane Crichton. This has undoubtedly been one of my most ambitious and daunting directorial challenges to date, and I have so many to thank for strengthening me and helping me to stay the course”.

His success was evident with the standing ovation the entire cast received after Saturday’s grand premiere at the Fairfield Theatre.

Prout, who was moved to tears by the reception he received after the play explained that “it was my privilege to work with this mix of old friends, a few new ones and so many first timers to the business. I have learned so much as I hope I have imparted. I remain a committed servant of this and any space where the Arts are valued”.

White Witch showcased a different side of a woman most celebrated in modern day as the wicked witch of Rose Hall in Montego Bay in the days of slavery. The playwright sought to uncover Annie’s frustration and sadness through the play while at the same time reveal the horrors of slavery and the dreadful life and conditions slaves were forced to live in.

The all star cast included Maylynne Walton who plays Annie Palmer. Walton is renowned for her role in the Blackburns of Royal Palm Estate but she engulfed herself in the role of Annie so much so that the audience found her brilliance to be very entertaining. Keiran King (Robert) made an excellent transition into the role of being Annie’s lover and bookkeeper. 

Philip Clarke (Taku) immersed himself completely into the role of Annie’s obeah man and grandfather to his beloved Millie (played by Noelle Kerr). Peter Abrikian (Joe, a slave overseer) was skillful has he engaged the audience in his role with line as the drama with his slave lover Jestina (played by Angelita McDonald) unfolded.  Montego Bay’s own David Tulloch, Marlon Brown and Georgia Matthews performed creditable well in the role as slaves.  Additional cast includes Coleen B. Lewis, Serina Reid, Omoie Miller, Shanieka Birthright, Nikki Kerr, Denesha Watson, Nedra Tucker, Shenece Lawrence, Carlington Ewar and George Bates.

Brit Jam, the Ultimate Weeklong Party

Members of the entertainment fraternity locally and overseas are seeking to strengthened the ties between Jamaica and Britain through a week of parties along the hip strip in Montego Bay come March 8-15.

Dubbed Brit Jam, the inaugural staging of the event will see eight days worth of non-stop partying in the second city was intentionally hosted during the Spring Break period to revive the tourism capital to its former glory of hosting vibrant entertainment activities for tourist and locals alike during this special period.

Promoter of the event Rhoan ‘DJ Face’ Woolery told journalist at a media launch at Twisted Kilt in Montego Bay that “we want to inject Spring Break life back into Montego Bay, when I was growing up, there used to be a host of activities taking place here in Montego Bay during this period. Now everything (entertainment) seemed to have moved to Negril and we want to just bring it back while encouraging a host of Britons and other European nationals to come to Jamaica and party with us”.

He went further to lament that Jamaica is not all about crime and violence “we know how to show you a great time here through entertainment and that is what we seek to promote in England by hosting this event whether for first time visitors of members of the Diaspora in Britain. This is an event for everyone, locals and international visitors alike”.

Brit Jam 2010 kicks off with on Monday March 8^th with a Welcome Party at Twisted Kilt which then follows an entire week of theme parties along the Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue) including Catamaran Cruise parties. However, BritJam climaxes on March 14^th when Vybz Kartel, Ding Dong, Chi Ching Ching, Flippa Mafia and Bugle invade Aqua Sol Theme Park in Montego Bay at the BritJam Fantasy Island (Grand Escape) party. Persons can check the website: www.officialbritjam.com for information on the theme parties.

Although this is the first staging of what they hope will develop into a calendar event, Brit Jam organizers will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Herbert Morrison Technical High School to help boost their capacity to provide wireless network services throughout the school campus.