Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter
Kedisha Clarke (left) of Wallenford Blue gives Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke (centre), a taste of coffee during the Jamaica Coffee Festival held at Devon House, St. Andrew on October 9. Lloyd Tomlinson (left background), chairman of the Blue Mahoe Estate, and David McBean (partly hidden), president of the CVM Communications Group, look on while Senator Norman Grant (right background), president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), also samples the brew. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THERE WAS fun, sun, education, coffee, more coffee and still more coffee at the Jamaica Coffee Festival.
The festival, which was rescheduled from October 2 to October 9 due to inclement weather, was held at the east Devon House lawns. It was a family package containing go cart rides, a titanic ship bounce about, face painting and many other games which kept the children busy.
Little children led the way as the Drews Avenue Primary performed three different stylings of the Quadrille. The children were dressed in folk wear and brightly coloured headdress.
ENTERTAINMENT
The adults enjoyed more mature entertainment options as the amusing MC, Dervan Malcolm, managed the programme. Throughout the show, he did impersonations of The most Honourable P. J. Patterson, the former leader of the Opposition Edward Seaga, former Governor-General, the late Sir Florizel Glasspole, radio disc jockey Barry G, former MP Douglas Vaz, and the late Michael Manley.
The internationally acclaimed Ashe Ensemble did electrifying performances of Weh Di Time, Pull It Up, What Can You Do To Stop a Man From Trying, Remember the Songs, Could You Be Loved and Sean Paul and Sasha's I'm Still in Love. The group was so well received that the crowd called for an encore.
VINTAGE MEDLEY
On their return later in the programme, the group performed a medley of retroactive songs and two original pieces, The Word is Love and Build Up We Nation. The crowd favourite was a very soulful rendition of Jimmy Cliff's Rebel in Me.
Dance Expressions brought the dancehall with real Jamaican dancing to Voicemail's Get Crazy. The dancers did well choreographed moves of the latest dances and the crowd was left wanting more. Like Ashe, on their return, the performance was bigger and better. Clad in black jackets with silver button ornaments reminiscent of the late dancer Bogle, the group paid homage to the late dancer in Buju Banton's Bogle.
DANCING MEDLEY
They moved into a dancing medley to Idiat Ting, Row Like A Boat and Sesame Street and by the end of their performance the movements grew more expressive and stylish. Aisha, who sang Someone Loves You Honey with Anthony B, serenaded the crowd with Waiting for You, and Shed Those Tears.
Orville Hall, the lead dancer for Dance Expressions shared with The Gleaner his comments on the festival. "I think its really wonderful to use a festival to establish the coffee. As for the group, we continue to establish dancehall dancing in a revolutionary way."
A very earthy Ras Rod from Dub Traffickers, dressed in thick African print, ankle wraps of the same nature and a big dark brown neck ornament, hosted the Coffee Festival spoken word fest. The word fest included a performance by Kamau, who did 'Black Nectar', 'Mountain' and 'Wake Me Up'.
MOUTH-WATERING POEM
Subsequently, Basil 'Ku Soonogo' Lopez whetted the appetite of the crowd with his mouth-watering poem about Jamaican food. He also delivered a humorous and witty rendition of a poem about a woman's beauty, and continued with jokes about car parts and money.
Ras Rod , with a burst of energy, which he attributed to the coffee, attacked the stage with a leap from below and vibrantly performed 'Sanes to Live By' and closed with 'Struggle Bubbling'. Khalil and Pure, 2005 National Popular Song winners, also graced the stage with 'Power and Poverty', dub poetry with back up vocals. Other performers were Nomadz and Blue Light Mento Band, with their rumba box, banjo and guitar.
Yuri, a 19-year-old patron who enjoyed the festival to the fullest, said, "It is good in terms of the different coffee products, the entertainment, especially Nomadz. Ashe really light the place up, Aisha and Dance Expressions, they're awesome. I plan to come back next year."
This year, the coffee festival was not only about entertainment. There were educational seminars, a tour of Devon House (the Great House) and repeated demonstrations of coffee cupping, the by which the quality of the coffee is assessed.
There were culinary demonstrations, give-aways by Tia Maria, Nescafé, Excelsior, Wisynco, National Commercial Bank and Country Traders. Winner of the 'Best Booth' award went to Jamaica Standard Products, makers of Wallenford Jamaica Blue coffee.
Patron for the event, Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, dubbed himself the 'Minister of Coffee'. "Coffee is the second largest export agricultural crop, I congratulate the Coffee Industry Board for its resilience, the coffee farmers and the Caribbean Events Group."
The Festival closed with the screening of four films, Children of the One-Eyed God, Entry Denied, Blue Mountain Tour and Parque de Cafe.
