Jazz and Blues

[Assasin]

Anita jazzed it up
Her performance at last year's festival is still being talked about and soul diva Anita Baker this year booked her ticket, hopped on a plane and came to Jamaica to hang out at the festival. Surely, this must rank as one of the great tales of the festival. And, then there was Lionel Richie, who, after his command performance on Friday night, attended the festival on Saturday just to be entertained.

[HL]

I went to Jamaica for the week-end to see the saturday night performances.

One word: EXCELLENT!!

I am very proud of Ed. Bartlett and the Jamaican tourist board for this production. The overall production standards were very high.

Returned last night feeling satisfied.

[Mosiah]

would you say it was a world-class production?

[HL]

Indeed!

The production was world class!!

[Sickko]

Saturday night's paled significantly in comparison to Friday night's..i was at both nights and actually left during Chicago's performance.

There was no leaving on Friday as between Randy Crawford and Lionel Richie, they alone was worth the price of both night's tickets.

Lionel Richie rolled back the years and gave a performance of a life time (despite the fact that his forehead did not move once in the 90 minute she was on stage)- he did everytbhing from the Comm,odoierews song book and some of his own as well.

Every body left satisfied.

The only complaint about Randy Crawford (other than her wardrobe or lack of it) was her stint was way too short and we did not hear many of the songs we wanted but man was her voice pure and sweet?? Damn

I wanted to hear Black Butterfly and Love you higher among others-- Fly Away brought tears top many eyes and Almaz went over very well for her encore..

Then again i am not sure the setting was the best for her kind of performance, maybe a smaller enclosed venue where she could sit on a stool or some thing like that...I would pay to go see her again...

[Assasin]

Glad you see. Barlett get a lot of knocks but he is one hard working tourism minister and one who have no time to give in to the naysayers.

I wasn't sure about him but he made some bold moves including Casino that seems to be panning out.

[HL]

I think Atlantic Star, Maxi Priest and the OJAYS were well worth the ticket price for me on Saturday.

Tough to have Chicago close the show following Ojays. Not that they are a bad band but the 'intensity' level dropped with Chicago.

I am sure hundreds of tourists booked their flight just to see Chicago.

The idea of performances on smaller stages during set change--was a good idea.

Reggae Music is alive and well: based on the quality of less popular performers I saw during set change....

[Sickko]

Not sure about hundreds of tourist booking tickets to see Chicago here, they also perform in the US dozens of times each year where they are more accessible to their fans there.

[Mosiah]

Was the audience mostly locals or fariners?

[HL]

The full potential of tourism will only be seen when crime is significantly reduced.

Any crime fighting (eradication) strategy must include the tourism ministry.

But yes Assasin, Ed Bartlett and his team did a world class job in putting the Jazz and Blues show together.

SIDEBAR:

After the show, I would have liked to see more uniformed personnel helping with traffic flow and control.

[HL]

It was the local portion that walked on Chicago.

The crowd looked mostly local.

[HL]

It's the Ojays that caused me to booked my flight...

(plus I was longing to eat some good sugar-cane and jink some koknat watah...)

[Mosiah]

thanks!

[Assasin]

Funny cause years ago I was talking to someone close to the OJ management and they swore they wouldn't perform in Ja again because the first time they performed Eddie Levert had a bad cultural experience calling the crowd nigg@@ (He was joking as he often do in America) and the crowd responded with boos and some objects.

Good to see them doing it right the second time around.

[Lionpaw]

false marketing dat. mi nuh see nuh "blues" deh.