R&B singer Billy Ocean. - PHOTO BY Mark Titus

Mark Titus, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU

R&B hit maker Billy Ocean was in scintillating form and could do nothing wrong for the hundreds of patrons in attendance at The Gleaner-sponsored King of Souls concert held at Island Village in Ocho Rios on Saturday.

Except for a listless performance from new artistes such as Rakelle, who seemed overwhelmed by the occasion and two separate hour-long band changes, the show was great.

While the breathtaking performance of Billy Ocean stood out, Ninety's men's group Shai popularly known for their No: 2 Billboard single If I Fall Ever In Love and 2005 Rising Stars Chris Martin gave a good account of themselves.

The Phonics' (formerly Delphonics) who were returning to Jamaica for the first time since the '70s did not disappoint. They brought back memories of that era with such songs as La La La, I Love You and Trying To Make a Fool of Me.

However, the show was taken to a different level when the Manhattans took to the stage with classical hits such as Kiss and Say Goodbye, Shining Star and Feels So Good To Be Loved SoBad. They had the patrons eating out of their hands.

Still the master

Hitting the stage at 12:15 a.m., Ocean was determined not to be upstaged and went on to show that he is still a master at his art. He fed the crowd a feast of his billboard chart-topping hits including Get Out of My Dreams, Suddenly, There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry), Lover Boy and When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, which saw fans dancing and singing along.

Sporting dreadlocks and declaring the purity of Rastafarianism, the Trinidad-born artiste who has recently returned from a musical hiatus, gave a powerful rendition of his reggae single Live Forever, before closing with the ever-popular hit single Caribbean Queen.

All eyes are focused on the stage, as patrons enjoy the 'Kings of Soul' concert in Ocho Rios on Saturday.