By Chaos, Freelance Writer
Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child performs at Sumfest's 'International Night' last Saturday in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, St. James. Western Bureau
DESTINY'S CHILD is sexy. Of course, this much should be obvious. Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams should probably be framed somewhere, to be taken at will out for your viewing pleasure, as opposed to being able to roam the world at their will.
Unfortunately, of course they can, so everyone else simply has to sit back and enjoy. Destiny's Child was the main international headline act at Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest's 'International Night', which closed the festival and was held last Saturday night into Sunday until dawn started to crack the sky,
They made their appearance at 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, preceded by operatic music and a video montage that extolled exactly why they are the goddesses they are at the moment and why. A burst of fireworks and a swirl of smoke prefaced their entrance. After ears and eyes had adjusted after the assault they had just suffered, there they were. Destiny's Child.
All three had on camouflage trousers, Beyonce, in particular, wearing a pair low enough to spark riots if she was not careful. Boy, does she know how to move that derriere Kelly and Beyonce had on skimpy bikini tops that showed quite a lot of skin while Michelle was a little more modest in a two-piece pink and green upper-body combination that did not show as much as, but titillated nonetheless. They posed as they so obviously often had, but the pose was nonetheless evocative. Screams thrust their way out unbidden merely at the sight of them. Then the trio started walking down and singing Independent Women: Part 2. The cheers were literally deafening and sexy is putting it mildly.
DANCEHALL FEEL
With tracks that were hardly needed playing in the background, the song was given a dancehall feel for a few lines as Kelly exerted the crowd to "Put your hands up!" The ladies' attire in at least one instance caused a problem, with Beyonce casting a quick look downwards to assure herself that her heels would not send her flying during her descent. No, No, No followed, the trio in a line doing co-ordinated dances straight out of a music video and just as professionally and evocatively. There were more screams and shouts for Bugaboo, as they segued between songs smoothly with very little in the way of breaks. The hits just kept on flowing, Bills, Bills, Bills storming after with two girls dancing, with a chair as a prop, at the raised area of the stage. It is doubtful that anyone noticed, since all eyes were on the trio.
Destiny's Child continued to electrify as they shifted into Say My Name, dancing before Beyonce bid the crowd to "Say Beyonce! Say Kelly! Say Michelle!", instructions which were obeyed before she and Kelly left Michelle solo on-stage to impressively deliver a song from her solo gospel debut, called Sun Will Shine.
Michelle gave way to Kelly, who delivered her smash hit Dilemma, Nelly delivering his part on a pre-recorded track as the crowd once became a choir. She then sang her second release from her debut solo album, joined by two dancers with whom she put on a dance display.
Beyonce followed and there were more screams as Sean Paul joined her for a rendition of their collaboration, Baby Boy, the two flirting before Sean Paul bounced around on-stage and Beyonce rotated her butt in ways that put one in mind of a J. Lo. video, only with much better music. More 'bootylicious' moments followed before the performance of the Billboard number one hit Crazy In Love followed.
BOUNCED
All three back on-stage, Bootylicious followed, "We'll come back anytime," the group declared before segueing into Jumping. "Where all my ladies at?" demanded Beyonce and screams were her reply as the crowd bounced on command. A little later, Beyonce merely walked to the front of the stage and... frowned.
The screams and cheers were deafening.
A dancehall rhythm took centrestage and the trio took turns pleasing the crowd by rotating what their mothers gave them before they launched into Survivor as the crowd sang along. The group taunted Catherine Hall with chants of Uh Oooh from Ludmilla's Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh) before leaving amidst confetti, streamers and even more fireworks, having truly set 'International Night' alight.
