Sumfest ends on high note
Headliner Babyface delights audience with musical trip down memory lane
MONTEGO BAY, St
James — Reggae Sumfest 2024 ended on a very high musical note at Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex with top-shelf performances from the artiste line-up led by American R&B star Babyface.
The 13-time Grammy Award-winning recording artiste, songwriter and producer had patrons singing along to his extensive list of hits from start to finish throughout his nostalgic set.
With the audience hanging on to his every word he took through his catalogue of hits and down memory lane with Everything Time I Close My Eyes, Two Occasions, Never Keeping Secrets, Soon As I Get Home, and Can We Talk.
Babyface, whose given name is Kenneth Edmonds, not only delivered his recorded songs but those he wrote for other stars such as from Exhale (Shoop Shoop) for Whitney Houston, Every Little Step I Take for Bobby Brown, and My My My for Johnny Gill.
In full command, the energetic performer glided across the stage with ultimate ease in a black jacket that sparkled under the lights.
Even after ending his long set the patrons’ appetite was seemingly unsatiated as they begged for more.
Robert Russell, deputy chairman of Downsound Entertainment, promoters of Sumfest, ranked Babyface’s performance among the best he has even seen at the festival.
“I think last [Saturday] night with Babyface was probably one of the best nights I have ever seen at a Reggae Sumfest. He had the crowd literally eating out of his hand. He did some songs that had everyone was singing along. You could hardly hear him singing because the audience were singing so loud. It was really unbelievable. His repertoire is fantastic. He really put on a good show,” Russell said.
“I have received my money’s worth and can go home now, a female fan was overhead saying at the end of the American’s performance.
However, if she left, really left, she would have unfortunately missed a sterling performance from one of Jamaica’s leading reggae artistes, Luciano, who brought the festival to a fitting climax.
Taking the stage with the morning sun beaming across the venue, the “Messenger” immediately ventured into popular Negro spirituals Old Time Religion and Lay Down
My Burden By the Riverside before he segued into his popular recording Lord Give Me Strength.
With the full attention of the audience he refused to let them go and reeled off hits such as Sweep Over My Soul, Sweet Mama Africa, Give Praise to Rastafari, Messenger, Sweep Over My Soul, Pocket is Empty, among others, which moved patrons to sing along and dance.
The No Love in The
World singer displayed his versatility by delivering, in deejay style, and also scored with Frankie Paul’s Pass the Kushumpeng.
The audience reluctantly let go the veteran reggae artiste with the ground fully lit with the morning sun.
Up-and-coming artiste Nigy Boy made his first impression at Sumfest, in his native city, a lasting one, with a solid performance, hitting the right notes with popular hits such as Judgement, Continental, as well as a cover of Dexta Daps’ Breaking News and Kranium’s Nobody Has To Know.
Clad in a silver ‘alien’ outfit with backup dancers and
innrdobotic extras dressed costumes, the visually impaired performer, who hails from the inner-city Flanker, St James, community, also had the patrons doing his Nigy Bounce moves to his songs.
At the end of his performance he was honoured by St James Municipal Corporation with the 2024 Silver Montego Bay Sumfest City Award for his outstanding contribution to entertainment.
Perennial crowd-favourite Beres Hammond, backed by the Harmony House Band, also connected with the audience with hits from his vast catalogue.
He dropped numbers such as Can’t Say, Rise & Shine, Groovy Little Thing, Tempted to Touch, among others.
He kept in touch with his audience, at times using the time in-between tracks to talk with his fans.
Female reggae artiste Sevana, Norris Man, D’yani, Ras I, Christopher Ellis,
Peter Metro, Anthony Malvo, Wickerman, Daddy Lizard, were also well received.