Children's homes benefit from 'A Starry Night'
Erin Hansen, Gleaner Writer
A journey into multicultural culinary terrain took place at Jamaica House on Friday for A Starry Night, an annual charity event that features Jamaican musical talent alongside a diverse assortment of exotic cuisine.
This year's theme took cues from international travel, using a cruise-line concept to create an imaginary journey around the world.
The entrance for the event was marked by the large hull of a ship, which was constructed with remarkable accuracy by Horace Wright. Attendees lined up to embark on the journey, taking candid pictures before they were unleashed into the grounds where the chefs at the various ports of call cooked up tantalising dishes.
A variety of cuisine was represented, ranging from Alaskan salmon dishes to Japanese sushi and Indian curry.
The Gleaner started with a savoury gungo peas soup with smoked salmon at the Caribbean tent before heading to the roasting station for some juicy slow-cooked chicken. The French section, marked by a creatively constructed scaled-down Eiffel Tower, featured excellent tri-tip with a crisp white wine, while the Lebanese seafood paella next door proved spicy and delicious.
For dessert, the Alaska tent provided an ice-cream sundae before a table of cakes and Blue Mountain coffee distracted.
Unable to taste test more, The Gleaner missed out on the Chinese and Indian tents, which were wafting delicious scents.
In addition to tasty platters, the event hosted performances from the young and talented Tessanne Chin who performed Alicia Keys, Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart, her own hit Hideaway and in the spirit of Christmas, she sang, O Holy Night. The impeccable jazz singer Myrna Hague performed a variety of songs including Harry Belafonte's Jamaica Farewell, Wizard of Oz's famous Somewhere over the Rainbow and jazz hits Our Love is Here to Stay from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra's That's Life.
Hague added to the Yuletide festivities with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Dressed in a shiny floor-length gown and a silver ponytail pulled tight atop her head, Hague, known also as Jamaica's 'First Lady of Jazz', dominated with her vivacious presence, giving a performance that proved her well-seasoned stage experience.
Hague also acknowledged during her performance the importance of the Christmas season as a time of sharing with those less fortunate, which aligned with the main concern of A Starry Night.
The event was developed to raise funds under the Lay Persons Initiative of the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands for the Pringle Home For Children and the Mt Olivet Boys' Home.
Partial proceeds for the event, along with proceeds from a silent art auction, will be given to the charity to finance refurbishment and scholarship opportunities for children at the two homes.
Organisers of the event said progress over the last few years at the homes has been steady, with one young studious female passing six Caribbean Examinations Council subjects with level-one grades, an outstanding accomplishment.