By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
CYNTHIA SCHLOSS' birthday party at The Waterfalls in Liguanea, St. Andrew on Saturday night was truly a joyous occasion.
A host of her contemporaries and two bands turned out to perform in her honour, with a virtual Who's Who of performers, from a twinkle-toed Ken Boothe to a fine falsetto from Bunny Brown to a bass and vocal Boris Gardiner, paying their respects in song.
It was a packed house as well, with the audience rocking to the Unique Vision and Fabulous Five bands.
The only person missing from the birthday party was Cynthia Schloss herself; she died five years ago.
That was mentioned throughout the night, but did not dampen the spirits of those who turned out to celebrate her birthday. And it certainly did not stop Ken Boothe from opening an exceptional set singing 'Happy birthday dear Cynthia' or Ruddy Thomas from getting to dance with her, if only in a poster which he clutched to his chest as he adapted Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father to the occasion.
"What can I tell you about my sister Cynthia? When you think about Cynthia you think about Rudy, you think about Beres, you think about Merlene, you think about Total Togetherness. And the brain is Mr. Blake," Thomas said. "We wrote a song together and I would like to share it with you. Can I?" Rudy Thomas asked. The persons present happily said yes and he made them even happier with Sea of Love.
FAMILY AFFAIR
It was also very much a family affair, what with Cynthia Schloss' brother Michael doing a more than competent job in a set which included Weeping Willow and Just Once. "Sis, there is not a day that you are not thought about. We love you, we miss you, we will never forget you," he said.
Her cousin, Sheldon Davids, brought poetry to the proceedings, reading a pair of poems after Keisha Patterson had impressed the audience, which called for 'more' in vain, and I'm Asking For Love from The Fabulous Five. The two poems had been written for 'Aunt Cindy', one noting that although 'she's gone', there is comfort in 'knowing somehow she is never more than a song away'.
Diana Rutherford, one-third of the Unique Vision's vocal arsenal, Nadine Sutherland and Keisha Patterson were the only ladies on the line-up, with Ms. Sutherland and Keisha Patterson doing the honours on delivering a pair of Cynthia Schloss classics.
Ms. Sutherland went with Love Forever, eyes closed, inviting the audience to sing along if they knew a particular part. They did and obliged, the singer flashing a smile and wiggling her shoulders in appreciation.
Ms. Sutherland spoke about working with Cynthia Schloss, doing backing vocals, saying "It is not every day you are able to work with a great singer and a great spirit."
If Keisha Patterson was nervous about coming on after a terrific Ken Boothe performance, capped off by Everything I Own, she showed no signs of it. Her Cynthia Schloss song was You Look Like Love and she delivered with warmth and power.
The audience showed her love and demanded more than her two song set, but they were denied the pleasure as Unique Vision had to make way for Fab Five on what already promised to be a long night.
And it was, with a man who was himself celebrating a birthday that day, Roland Burrell following Boris Gardiner's I Wanna Wake Up With You with a well appreciated Hanging On The Wall, that Cynthia Schloss' birthday party wound well down on the downside of 3:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
