Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter
Left: The night sky comes alive at the waterfront. Right: The crowd anxiously awaits the fireworks at the Waterfront, downtown Kingston, on New Year's Eve. - PHOTOS JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE KINGSTON Harbour was seen brightly as loud explosions and fireworks littered the sky.
Kingstonians rang in the New Year with a fiery boom at midnight. Ocean Boulevard, King, Hanover, and other streets were cluttered with people, cars, cameras, and lots of excitement.
The 15 minutes of explosions came from a ship out in the harbour and was accompanied by the sounds of reggae and dancehall music, selected by Razz and Biggy. As the first one burst into colourful light, G-r-e-e-t-i-n-g-s, burst into the airways and the voices of the many patrons rang out in satisfaction.
"Wowww....woooooh," gasped the crowd as the balls of light opened up into the night. Also welcoming the new year was Junior Gong's Welcome to Jamrock, Turbulence's Notorious, and Bob Marley's One Love.
As if in support of the magnificent display of fireworks that beautified the sky, Baby Cham's Ghetto Story, thumped to the boom of the fireworks. The crowd felt the beat and screamed, as they shouted the punch line, "rra, rra, rra."
The children felt the beat as well as they out screamed the adults at the sound of Gyptian's Serious Times. While the very extravagant fireworks burned over the waters of Kingston Harbour, some people in the crowd blazed their own clappers and fire rockets.
The worm-like fireworks screeched through the air, sounding like something coming from a horror movie. Everywhere the eye could see, people were there, from all walks of life, sizes, shape, and age. Even persons from Beverly, Stony and Red Hills stayed to see the fiery display.
ENTERTAINERS SHINE
However, the fireworks was not the only bit of entertainment in downtown Kingston. The MC, Jerry D, took us through the performances of Alaine, Voicemail, Christopher Martin, Mark Ice, Bescenta, Dance Xpressionz and Assassin among others. George Nooks sang some fitting year-end songs like God is Standing By, Tribal War and How Great Thou Art.
While the entertainment raged on, cars lined the 'soft shoulders' of the airport road and the road leading to Port Royal as people gathered to get a front seat view of the fireworks. In addition, Morgan's Harbour was another venue, where people gathered for New Year's Eve on the Bay.
Patrons started streaming in from about 9:30 p.m., but the bulk of the party really got there a little after 10 p.m.. The Morgan's Harbour music system entertained the patrons with soul music from the 1990s, including James Ingram's Just Once, Luther Vandross' Here and Now among others.
After a tasty New Year's Eve meal consisting of fruits, pastry and assorted foods, 50/50 band rocked the night with exciting music from yesteryear.
'JOLLY NEW YEAR'
The mature crowd matched the red and white setting and you were constantly reminded that you were in Port Royal by the Pirate skull on stage with the banner, "jolly new year."
Decked in their formal wear, the crowd danced the night away in their New Year's eve hats, crowns and blowers.
Other persons in nearby yatches were also enjoying the New Year's Eve, as they had private gatherings aboard their vessels, which subsequently went out to sea.
