- Noel ThompsonAt top, a patron thoroughly enjoys herself.
Adrian Frater, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE STORY of Jamaica's music was told in bold and beautiful lyrical language on Thursday night at the scenic Caribbean Beach Park in Montego Bay, as the popular Heineken Startime series made its belated western Jamaica debut in a blaze of glory.
It was a case of continuous musical bliss as all the performers lived up to expectations. The musical frenzy which started at about 10:50 p.m. with Karen Smith, never slackened until the final melody from Alton Ellis as daybreak beckoned.
Alton Ellis' performance will probably be best remembered, not because he did better than the other acts, but more so because of the remarkable manner in which he closed the show.
However, on reflection, the same might have been the case had George Nooks, Ken Boothe, Frankie Paul or the Mighty Diamonds, been the closing act.
From the moment Alton's melodious voice echoed, "Girl, I have got a date," it was clear that most of the vintage faithful were ready to explode.
It was like a ballroom floor as lovers slipped into each other's arms as Ellis sang Tumbling Tears, Rocksteady, Weeping Willow, Breaking Up, and Muriel.
It was complete ecstasy as Alton's musical genius climbed to another level when he was joined on stage by Karen Smith and together they performed
Don't Love You Anymore, the classic he recorded with Phylis Dillion. The crowd really got into this one as the two singers danced together like happy children at a picnic.
Alton remained at the new-found level after Smith's departure and he reeled off a few more hits before making his exiting with Ain't That Loving You and Dance Crasher.
Called back for an encore, he again delighted with Keep on Moving.
In terms of current hits and bridging the generation gap, the honours probably belonged to the versatile George Nooks, who showed his class as both a singer and a deejay. He ruled supreme on songs that included Zion Gate, Tribal War, Lean On Me and the Song of the Year God Is Standing By. After, as if he had not impressed enough, he all but blew the ladies away with his encore selection Beautiful Woman.
In terms of volume of hits, Frankie Paul was probably the man of the moment. He started out by digging deep into his awesome collection coming up with, Head To Toe, Sarah, Alecia Slow Down and Tidal Wave. With the crowd dancing up a storm, the man known as 'FP', went into overdrive, belting out Kuchunpeng and a Bob Marley medley which included One Drop and Songs of Freedom.
As they have been doing since their heyday in the late 1980s, the Mighty Diamonds were on the ball from start to finish. After starting with Party Time, the trio of Bunny, Tabby and Judge, dazzled with songs that included Heads Of Government, When The Right Time Come, Have Mercy and the classic Pass The Kutchie.
Songbird Karen Smith, who performed before most of the patrons had arrived at the venue, was silky smooth and extremely sweet. It was all magic as she delivered beautifully on songs such as Rapture; and a medley of festival songs which included, Jamaica Move and Unity.
After impressing with Calypso Rose's Dignity, she and Dean Stephens all but brought the house down with a superb rendition of Endless Love. In between the parade of stars, Daniel Brown, the son of reggae legend Dennis Brown, made a cameo appearance, belting out one of his dad's classics, Should I.
Special mention though, must be made of Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band, the were instrumentally awesome.
