By Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance WriterDESPITE THE rain which pelted New Kingston on Wednesday, Christmas in the Park 2004 got a spectacular start. The evening culminated with a vibrant, varied and energetic performance by To-Isis, superbly backed by In2nation. They provided a mix of popular songs and Christmas carols that saw the audience often singing along and sometimes screaming with delight.
The Christmas in the Park series, at Emancipation Park, will culminate tomorrow morning and the final evening event occurs tonight. The audience turn-out to Wednesday night's affair was significantly less than the past two years which was not surprising given the earlier rains. Additionally, the nature of the concert had also changed. This year fewer performers were scheduled, with each night featuring a main act. The six-member vocal band To-Isis was the night's main act.
STORYTELLING
Earlier in the evening there was storytelling for children in the Anancy website. The storytelling is a standard feature of each night which takes place in a tent. On the main stage, the event also featured a series of performances by the talented young violinist Nadje' who delighted the audience and dances from the Kathy Givens dancers. There was also poetry from Jean Wilson while Thelma Porter played host for the evening.
In2nation's fabulous introductory instrumental for To-Isis set expectations for a first rate performance and the group lived up to it. They started out with 'Ghetto Pain' which provided an excellent beginning for the set. From there it was time to create the screaming girls effect as they launched into love ballad Heaven.
CAROLS
The first touch of Christmas followed with a beautiful arrangement of O Holy Night. The carols were peppered throughout the performance and often helped to change the pace, allowing the group to bounce from an energetic piece to a calm number. Christmas songs performed included Silent Night, which was sung a cappella, Give Love on Christmas Day and Silver Bells.
With six members, the band is one too many to be the average boy band, but then again there was nothing average about their delivery. The songs were arranged to maximise the potential of each voice, whether it was on lead or acting as background.
To-Isis also showed some skill at performing choreographed dances with the 'Trance'. They did not only depend on themselves for dance moves however. During 'Trance' they had three girls appear on the stage adding additional energy to the performance. 'Dream Weaver' also included a dancer, in this case a solo performance by Tamara Noel. Noel's graceful moves enhanced the haunting quality of the ballad. The song featured Duane Stevenson on lead whose wailing vocals added a soulful touch to the song.
Attempts to give away promotional copies of their upcoming album also provided fodder for entertainment. In the second round of give-aways, those who wanted the CD were asked to sing for it and the result was some hilarious, tone deaf and lyrically inaccurate singing. One of these fans had earlier caused another bout of laughter when while being serenaded she clung to the singer, and seemed to be checking that all his abdominal muscles were in place.
The band also delved into rock and roll with a medley that brought the official end to the night. When Porter asked the audience if they wanted more there was a decisive yell of yes!. The result was a medley of music including Good Mood and A Little More Oil in My Lamp. The group had a sizeable chunk of the audience on their feet, while others simply sat and sang along and clapped or screamed.
