Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Left: International recording artiste, Shaggy. Right: Michael Bolton. - File photos
Well, my daahlings, 2007 is off to a fabulous start - beginning with that ultra-fabulous and oh so chic little do that Chris Blackwell hosted at his fabulous Golden Eye resort to see in the New Year! And what made it so fab was its exclusivity!
Anyway, whoever asserted that the party season is now in limbo clearly has not got a clue. Dovecakes, there's no limbo, just a new phase as with Christmas and New Year's celebrations out of the way. It's now back to dinner parties and divine soirées out of the glare of public scrutiny.
The well-to-do and the fabulissimo have resorted to their time-honoured traditions of entertaining in the privacy of their homes and with no fanfare. And so, the partying continues - especially now that many of the city's leading socialites and powerbrokers, who were away for the holidays, are now back and only just hosting their holiday dos.
Jazz and Blues Festival
And speaking of the partying never stopping, my dears, it's all about the annual Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in the tourism capital, Montego Bay.
Honeychiles, it's cooking with excitement and social drama as the beautiful people are determined not to miss out on this year's offering of international stars, plus a number of reggae's finest!
And little wonder as with stars such as Kenny Rogers,Christopher Cross,Monty Alexander and Earth Wind and Fire, all billed to hot up the place, y'all know that come the weekend of January 25-27, Montego Bay will not only be the preferred locale, it will be a profiler's haven.
Not to mention the fabulous music , with the above-mentioned acts, there's also talk that superstars, Chuck Mangione and Michael Bolton are also expected to perform, as is Peter Lloyd.
But for the life of this scribe, one can't imagine why in the name of music, any promoter/organiser would book a certain entertainer for such festival as people are still nauseated from his awful performance on New Year's Eve, over there at the much talked- and written-about resort in the island's west!
Anyway, if he does perform, one can only hope that he will be eclipsed by the awesome talent of Shaggy, Freddy McGregor, Sanchez and Wayne Wonder, who are just a few of the fab reggae acts expected to grace the stage and take the festival and music to a higher level.
Well pumpkins, it's like that and then some as indeed, the preferred resorts for the out-of-towners being the ultra-fabulously chic Half Moon Resort, The Ritz-Carlton and the Rose Hall Resort - already reporting near capacity bookings for the period, so y'all know we are talking one fiercely happening festival here!
And if profiling, hob-knobbing or fabulous music are not your thing, then, pumpkins, not to worry - the stunningly beautiful April Parchment and the lovely Joan Lee, of Mo-Bay's newest and hippest spot, The Event Place, are promising to augment the activities in the 'Bay' by hosting an art exhibition and some swell wine and cheese outings to add some more spice to the 'bay' for the occasion.
Smart little shindig
And they say time flies when you are having fun. Well, that may or may not be the case at RedBones on Braemar Avenue, in New Kingston, as this first among hot spots in Kingston's restaurants and night spots celebrated its 10th year of operations, last Saturday night, with a reportedly smart little shindig that had those guesting, grooving and then some!
The buzz was it was all that and then some and with some fine and hot personalities in attendance, and making it happen as a smasheroni, aided and abetted by flowing premium libations and fabulous nibblies that had some humming in gleeful appreciation and much to the delight of owners, Evon and Betsy Williams. Well, here's to the first decade, now on to the next!
Birthdays
Then, no word yet on the expected birthday celebrations, but the fabulous Betty Delfosse-Ingleton of that absolutely fabulous restaurant, Velisa's along Devon Road, celebrates her special day come the 23rd.
The darling Victoria Olivia Windle will celebrate her first birthday on the 24th.
Carlos MaxBrown will be blowing out the candles on his cake on the 18th, in Runaway Bay, at the preferred resort known as Hedonism III. And, speaking of the resort, the absolutely charming Sophia Leahong, personal assistant to the general manager, will celebrate her very special day come Monday.
No word yet as to what format the celebrations will take this year, but after last year's fabulous surprise shindig at the ultra fab Blue Shutters beach-side villa, pumpkins you know we are talking one hard act to follow, so more definitely, anon!
And sadly, former head of the Jamaica Flour Mills, James Gill and his wife, Marina, took leave of our shores this week as the couple and their baby daughter relocated to the United States following on the end of his tour of duty here.
The Gills will be missed as they made a formidable pair on the social scene and were quite the gracious hosts themselves.
And so it is with more than a twinge of regret that we say to James and Marina, walk good!
LEFT: Kenny Rogers. RIGHT: Peter Lloyd.
