Smith, Sparrow, Shaggy receive Independence awards

Smith, The Mighty Sparrow and Shaggy - Ian Allen photos

ERNIE SMITH, the first Jamaican to win an international pop award; The Mighty Sparrow; the Trinidadian Calypso King and Grammy Awardee Shaggy received Jamaica Independence Awards at the Prime Minister's Independence Gala on Monday night.

The gala, held at Jamaica House, was organised to celebrate Jamaica's 39th year of Independence and was a reception for recipients of National Honours and Awards. The event showcased the music of the Caribbean and Latin American region.

Presentations were given by Pam Hall, jazz singer, who thrilled the audience with songs such as On A Day Like Today and Fever.

The Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the world, caused a stir in the place with his risqué performance of Dan Is The Man In The Van, Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart and A Man In The Queen's Bedroom.

Grammy awardee Shaggy closed the event with a set that included his American chart busters Angel and It Wasn't Me.

The large gathering was also entertained by Ophelia Marie from The Dominican Republic. She kept the audience spellbound with her Creole presentations. Angel Quintero out of Cuba was awesome too in his presentations.

The Santo Domingo dancers and musicians, who are considered merengue ambassadors of that country, thrilled the audience with their lively rhythmic music along with performances from an energetic dance duet.

The Peter Asbourne aggregation, which fielded some of Jamaica's best musicians, presented a beautiful Jamaican suite of music and also provided backing music for singers.

Francois St. Juste and Leonie Forbes worked well as emcees.

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