By Janet Silvera, Freelance Writer
Here he sings the words, 'I need a fat, a very, very fat girl, fat girl today at the Air Jamaica concert at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel, Belize. - Janet Silvera Photo
WESTERN BUREAU:
Wooh!Aah!
JUST NOW able to catch my breath. What a weekend! Creoles, Mestizos, Mayans, Menonite, Garinagu and Jamaicans intermingled unleashing magic in the Central American country of Belize. A magic many have not experienced in years.
The Belizeans are calling it the 'Jamaican Invasion', and the Jamaicans are calling it an 'overthrow'. The difference; these Belizean CARICOM partners willingly allowed the Jamaicans to take over their country, leading the way to a new dawn.
Air Jamaica's advent into Belize City last Thursday was received with such exuberance, it almost seemed as if the Gordon 'Butch' Stewart -led team threw manna from heaven.
Parking a fancy looking A321 aircraft on the Belizean runway, in-flight champagne and Red Stripe beer was not enough for Jamaica's national airline. They outdid themselves in the process with a showcase of the Jamaican culture, the wild party animals the island is known for and the beauty and power of a nation that the people themselves are not even aware of. It was the culmination of three nights of dinner parties, two days of boating, of flying from one island to the next in luxurious Cessna aircrafts to the sampling of fabulous boutique hotels. The icing on the cake was a roots, rock, reggae explosive concert with hundreds of Belizeans who knew the words to more reggae songs than many Jamaicans present. Take it from me, Belize was the place to be last weekend.
The pulsating rhythm of reggae music thumped the walls of Belize City's Bilton Plaza Hotel, with a concert that saw General Degree's 'Granny' after more than a decade, still hollering out his name; lover's rock Leroy Sibbles still trying to find a very, very 'Fat Girl'; the rebel with a cause, Tony Rebel, faithful and true to sweet Jamdung, "the only problem is, dollars nah run," and Bare Essentials displaying their eminence in the music world.
As the Jamaicans soared to new heights, and the Belizean women competed in the area of 'winery', Vibesmaster Jerry D made good his presence on stage as every woman that ventured there had to gift him with a kiss before exiting.
It was a night when all Jamaicans were proud to show their blue passports, a night when Air Jamaica's Claire Robinson 'skanked' as if there was no tomorrow and Parsha Buddo, invented the dance move 'MoBay Rock Steady'.
Belize was exhilarating, the hospitality was first class, the people magnificent, the food simply marvellous and most of the men unavailable. One thing is for sure, I would not have wanted anybody to tell me about the excitement that trip offered, I am happy I was there in living colour. Leroy Sibbles charms one of the many travel agents that journeyed to Belize City on Air Jamaica's inagural flight.
