Krysystal Cameron
Exclusive to the North Coast Times
The first night of Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2014 opened to a small and seemingly unenthused crowd. My favourite moments came early in the night with charged performances from Christopher Martin and Chronixx. Chalice was also one of my personal favourites and received a positive reception from a small but dedicated group of fans. Marcia Griffiths also got the crowd worked up to a swaying, waving choir. The highlight of the night was definitely the world premiere of Moses Davis, the other side of Grammy Award Winning Beenie Man. He descended unto the stage from steps and performed hit after hit with a band, violinist and his usual spunky style of footwork and excitement.Night 2 was much better attended and seemed charged with a ‘je ne sais quoi’ missing from the previous night. Protoje represented wonderfully for our local talent and got the crowd swept up into the Island vibes of the event. Many festival goers I spoke to said they were very impressed by his performance and felt proud that our boy could hold his own amongst an international line-up studded with massive stars like Toni Braxton and Joe.I danced and swayed the whole time Joe was on stage! The smoothness, the charm, the ‘relateability’…his songs took me back to the days when R&B reigned supreme. As one star was gone, another star was born: Toni hit the stage for what was a classy, soulful and very interactive show. My favourite moments happened when she had some members of the audience onto the stage. Of course, Jamaicans never disappoint. The crowd roared in encouragement as music lovers took the stage to wow Toni with our singing and dancing talents. Braxton Family was also in attendance and festival goers also got a taste of sister Taymar’s new single (Let’s just say she’s no Toni).Night 3 saw the largest turnout of Jazz and Blues 2014. However, the crowd seemed to mull about with a certain disinterest. Chaka Khan made very little impact with me or most of the audience. I think festival goers, like myself, are just looking for a song they can all sing along to. The night was all about Beres! A natural mystic blew through the air and a shower of began from the sky while Beres tore up the stage. Some fled to find dry seats in the stands, but many fans stood their ground, hypnotized by the rhythmic stylings of Beres.
THE AMBIANCEAs always, I was happy to bask in the ambiance of the massive venue, which was tastefully designed to include a little bit of something for every desire. Some patrons had negative feelings about the vastness of the grounds. In explaining what he described as a lack of intimacy, one patron joked that a walk from the entrance to the food court felt like wondering in the desert for forty years. However, my favourite part of being at Jazz and Blues is the abundance of bathrooms and the thrill of discovering all there is to see.The venue was bordered by skyboxes, tents, and booths for Red Stripe and Flow; also present were tents showcasing local boutiques, jewellery and art; a food court; talent stage and posh porter potties. I consider the size to be an advantage, the large grounds offered patrons an opportunity to begin burning off the many delicious delights which sent irresistibly tempting smells wafting all over the food court. The variety was even more impressive. Festival goers could choose from several restaurants, cafes and snack posts offering fish, fruits, nuts, pizza, warm beverages, smoothies, vegetarian delights and many more. Corporate chef at Rainforest Seafoods, Evrol Ebanks stole a moment to chat with me about his company’s second year at the festival. Ebanks had glowing words about the festival and the opportunity it offered businesses to showcase their offerings while promoting brand Jamaica.
