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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>From joy to sadness</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Jean Lowrie-Chin
Monday, March 19, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>I had to rewrite the lead of this column when I heard of the sad passing yesterday of Bob Woolmer, the well-loved English coach of the Pakistan team. While the cause of his death has not been determined, we are hearing comments about the pressure of competition.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We, the fans, will have to review how we put fear in the hearts of our team - this is cricket, not the Coliseum. A visit to Woolmer's website, www.bobwoolmer.com, will show you his deep commitment to the game - my sympathy to his family and the Pakistan team.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Jean Lowrie-Chin </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Now back to my original column.
Settling in our seats at the multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny on Sunday, March 11, we agreed that we could not have been blessed with a more beautiful afternoon for the opening of the Cricket World Cup, the biggest sports event ever held in the Caribbean. The pristine location made sense - a lush, picture-perfect setting for the world to see.<P class=StoryText align=justify>I cannot say I was surprised to see the panoply of colour that invaded the infield nor the quality of the performances. In August 1976, at least twice that number of dancers and musicians, directed by the legendary Wycliffe Bennett, showed us that Jamaica was equal to any task.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The planning committee then included the late Eric Coverley, Mortimo Planno, Sam Hillary,Vilma McDonald, Joyce Campbell, Emma Crooks, Merrick Needham, Ancile Gloudon, Lorna Goodison, lucky me, among others.<P class=StoryText align=justify>These greats passed a strong legacy to the CWC Opening Ceremony team, the redoubtable Vilma McDonald and Carol Lawes, Bert Rose, L'Antoinette Stines, Martin Lewis, Monica Lawrence, Brian St Juste, Peter Ashbourne, Lawrence Tulloch and their cast of thousands.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The high point for many of us was the appearance on a big screen of Bob Marley. We caught our breath at the appropriately larger-than-life images of Bob, and were overwhelmed at what happened next: the amazing I-Threes, svelte and regal, singing along with the man they backed as he took the world by storm in the '70s. You were wrong, Bob, we'll never be tired of seeing your face!
The magnificent Jimmy Cliff and unwavering patriot Tony Rebel sang us to a rousing finale.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Crackling charisma gave Buju Banton and Beres Hammond "forwards" from the crowd, though I cannot think of any artiste that did not get their respect - we rocked with South African and Irish performers, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Arrow, Lovindeer, Byron Lee's Dragonnaires, Sly and Robbie, Allison Hinds, Machel Montana, Half Pint and Gregory Isaacs.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But without the discipline of those anonymous dancers and singers, in their fabulous costumes, we could not have had the spectacle which wowed the world. Our visionary tourism minister Aloun Assamba told me that when negotiations were taking place as to what events would be held in which country, her strongest focus was on the opening ceremony. "For me, this was the most important event to showcase our tourism product," she said with satisfaction the day after. She disclosed that several performers had been getting calls from as far away as Australia about their availability for concerts.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The show that Jamaica and friends put on for the world, reminds us that culture should alway
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Jean Lowrie-Chin
Monday, March 19, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>I had to rewrite the lead of this column when I heard of the sad passing yesterday of Bob Woolmer, the well-loved English coach of the Pakistan team. While the cause of his death has not been determined, we are hearing comments about the pressure of competition.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We, the fans, will have to review how we put fear in the hearts of our team - this is cricket, not the Coliseum. A visit to Woolmer's website, www.bobwoolmer.com, will show you his deep commitment to the game - my sympathy to his family and the Pakistan team.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Jean Lowrie-Chin </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Now back to my original column.Settling in our seats at the multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny on Sunday, March 11, we agreed that we could not have been blessed with a more beautiful afternoon for the opening of the Cricket World Cup, the biggest sports event ever held in the Caribbean. The pristine location made sense - a lush, picture-perfect setting for the world to see.<P class=StoryText align=justify>I cannot say I was surprised to see the panoply of colour that invaded the infield nor the quality of the performances. In August 1976, at least twice that number of dancers and musicians, directed by the legendary Wycliffe Bennett, showed us that Jamaica was equal to any task.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The planning committee then included the late Eric Coverley, Mortimo Planno, Sam Hillary,Vilma McDonald, Joyce Campbell, Emma Crooks, Merrick Needham, Ancile Gloudon, Lorna Goodison, lucky me, among others.<P class=StoryText align=justify>These greats passed a strong legacy to the CWC Opening Ceremony team, the redoubtable Vilma McDonald and Carol Lawes, Bert Rose, L'Antoinette Stines, Martin Lewis, Monica Lawrence, Brian St Juste, Peter Ashbourne, Lawrence Tulloch and their cast of thousands.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The high point for many of us was the appearance on a big screen of Bob Marley. We caught our breath at the appropriately larger-than-life images of Bob, and were overwhelmed at what happened next: the amazing I-Threes, svelte and regal, singing along with the man they backed as he took the world by storm in the '70s. You were wrong, Bob, we'll never be tired of seeing your face!
The magnificent Jimmy Cliff and unwavering patriot Tony Rebel sang us to a rousing finale.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Crackling charisma gave Buju Banton and Beres Hammond "forwards" from the crowd, though I cannot think of any artiste that did not get their respect - we rocked with South African and Irish performers, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Arrow, Lovindeer, Byron Lee's Dragonnaires, Sly and Robbie, Allison Hinds, Machel Montana, Half Pint and Gregory Isaacs.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But without the discipline of those anonymous dancers and singers, in their fabulous costumes, we could not have had the spectacle which wowed the world. Our visionary tourism minister Aloun Assamba told me that when negotiations were taking place as to what events would be held in which country, her strongest focus was on the opening ceremony. "For me, this was the most important event to showcase our tourism product," she said with satisfaction the day after. She disclosed that several performers had been getting calls from as far away as Australia about their availability for concerts.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The show that Jamaica and friends put on for the world, reminds us that culture should alway