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Massage therapists want spas closed Kingston Creative sets downtown Kingston on musical fire

Dancehall legends U-Roy, Big Youth, and Buju Banton are immortalised in this mural at the corner of Charles

Patrons assemble around Mystic Revelations of Rastafari as Artwalk comes to a close. PHOTOS BY PAUL WILLIAMS

Kingston Creative sets downtown Kingston on musical fire

Paul H. Williams
Hospitality Jamaica Writer

IT WAS billed as a weekend of music, “a musical weekend like no other”, and in a significant way, Kingston Creative outdid itself. It delivered.

On Friday, February 21, the ‘Kingston Creative Meet-up’ focused on the ‘Migration of the Music’ inside F & Downtown, at 107 Harbour Street. The link-up featured a panel discussion with music experts Earl Chinna Smith, Ewan Simpson, Herbie Miller, Nadine Sutherland, and Professor Deborah Hickling. In addition, eight genres of Jamaican music echoed from the mouths and instruments of DJ Fenix, live band Ozou’ne, and Pon fYaH.

The ‘Meet Us on Beat Street’ portion took over the intersection of Charles and Orange streets. The segment, in keeping with the observance of ‘Reggae Month’, was staged by Sounds and Pressure Foundation, in association with Kingston Creative, and funded by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and the European Union.

Expected to dazzle ‘Beat Street’ throughout the day, with their own brand of music, were artistes such as One Famous, I Higher Tone, Isee Jah High, Earth Warrior, Ras Kelly, Iya Tear, DJ Journalist, Bongo Herman, Johnnie Builder and Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, with music provided by DJ Talia and Whitty’s Soul Town.

MUSICAL EVOLUTIONS

The area was one of the water-sheds of the evolution of Jamaican music, and so tours of historic sites, such as Leggo’s Recording Studio, were conducted. Patrons listened in rapt attention as the veteran producer, Trevor ‘Leggo’ Douglas, narrated engaging stories of the start-up and evolution of his studio, once a stomping ground for reggae icons Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs, and which is still operating. Other places of interest were Big Yard, Beverly’s (the first record shop in Jamaica), and Jimmy’s Jazz Hut.

“The Beat Street Artwalk is one in a series of events that will be held to encour-age community tourism and develop Kingston’s emerging Art District,” Kingston Creative said. Thus, there was the community ‘Artwalk’, inclusive of the view-ing of 45 murals. These murals were developed by Kingston Creative in partnership with Jamaican artists such as Bernard Hoyes, Nicola Rosen, Alphanzo Blake, Lifechild, Deon Simone, Javier Dayes, Jeana Lindo, Dan Thompson, et al. And, there was a live-mural painting amid the din and festivities.

That mural, funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, was being painted by Errol Reid. It depicts Studio One musicians such as the Skatellites, Jackie Mittoo, Cedric Brooks, Richard Ace, Lennie Hibbert, Ernest Ranglin, Winston Grennan, and Tom of ‘Tom the Great’ Sebastian Sound System.

n recognition of the part they played in the history of Jamaican music, plaques recognising the work of Vincent and Pat Chin, Winston Ridley, and Sonia Pottinger were unveiled at the corner of Orange and Heyward streets by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange and Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Delroy Williams.

And while the music was thumping at ‘Beat Street’, Mutabaruka and DJ Fenix were driving the energy at the turntable at Artwalk, along Water Lane, which was the epicentre of eclectic performances from artistes such as Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Manifesto Jamaica’s Purpose, GiHRL, dancehall veteran Papa Michigan, the Energy Plus Mento Band, Bongo Shem and the Roots & Culture Drum Band (Kumina), Andre France, and Ziah Push. The jam session saw some aspiring artistes giving a taste of what they have to offer in the future.

The children were not left out of the musical mix as there were art and craft music-themed activities for them at Artwalk at Water Lane, the ‘Market Street’ venue, sponsored by Sagicor Bank. The package also included the annual Black History Month lecture series put on by the Institute of Jamaica’s Jamaica Music Museum. This year’s theme, ‘Black Head Chiney’, is about the role that the Chinese played in the evolution and development of Jamaican music.

At the National Gallery was Notis Heavy Weight Rockaz, rocking away on the Gallery’s last Sunday roster. Not far from the Gallery, the Dennis Brown tribute concert on the ‘Waterfront’ brought the weekend to a fitting climax, Jamaican music at its very best.