Children found it hard to contain their excitement at 'Hanover Women in Concert' at Rusea's High School.

Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

Lucea, Hanover:

Hanover's Germany-based singer Crystal Axe ignited the 'Hanover Women in Concert' fund-raising show, at the Watson Taylor Park in Lucea on Sunday evening.

Her provocative performance left the men in the audience drooling, as, like last year, she did her trademark slow gyrations in her skin-tight outfit while belting out lyrics from a number of her originals.

The show consisted of a gospel Segment, Dance and Reggae segments, and featured performances from the Cauldwell New Testament Church which left the audience - mainly children - reeling with laughter when one rather plump female member of the group kept rotating her waistline during the gospel songs. Gospel singer Claudette White closed the gospel segment.

But Axe, the show's headline act, brought the house down with her 15-year-old sister, Princess Tia, providing back-up. She took the stage shortly after 10:00 p.m. and proceeded to demonstrate what she said was the 'clean wine', and performed several of her singles as well as others from her upcoming album.

Axe, who was making her last performance in Jamaica before heading off on a tour of Europe later this week, was preceded by other acts which included the Clifton Dance Group, the Hanover Educational Dance and Drama groups, and Princess Tia, who is also a lead vocal on the Rusea's High School choir.

Prince J

Germany-based singer Crystal Axe performs during 'Hanover Women in Concert' at the Rusea's High School, in Lucea, on Sunday evening. - Photos by Claudia Gardner

Former Digicel Rising Star entrant Prince J also wooed the ladies. Singer George Nooks was the closing act but, as much as he tried, he could not keep up with the pace Crystal Axe had set.

The event was staged by the Hanover Educational Institute (HEI) in a bid to raise funds for undertaking improvement works at the Rural Services for Children with Disabilities (RSCD) centre in Lucea, as well as at the HEI, which is a registered non-government organisation.

Last year, the $20,000 profit raised from the event was donated to the RSCD to repair and renovate a section of their facility located at Millers Drive in Lucea, which had been destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

The RSCD is a non-government organisation which provides special care, guidance and education for children who are severely mentally and physically disabled. It has been operating in Lucea since 1996. The school offers training in basic academics such as recognising letters and colours, as well as skills such as dressing, eating and bathing.