Calabash off to great start
Published:Monday | May 31, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The 'Strong One' Etana appeared on the 'Wow' factor Wata stage on Friday night chanting Rita Marley's One Drop and she didn't need to belt another tune for the musically hungry Calabash audience to be sated.
It was 1:00 a.m., several hours into the start of the 10th Calabash Literary Festival tagged 'So Much Things to Say' and Etana had a lot to say, lyrically.
Liberating herself from the confines of the power evoked by Rita Marley's hit song, the intoxicating singer claimed equitable place with the audience, pulling from her impressive repertoire Free, giving the crowd reasons to revel in the freedom from fear of the thunderstorms that threatened to derail the festival on Friday and the past week's unrest in Kingston that crippled the country known as paradise.
Treasure Beach was paradise for many who extradited themselves from the capital city and when the musical genius sang the words, Don't Give Up, the obedient hands went up in unison. Even as she paid tribute to those who lost their lives on the battlefield, the words, "We are gonna be free, because we can't go on forever," echoed from her lungs, complementing her mind blowing, soul stirring, inspirational performance.
Etana has blossomed into a heavenly force to be reckoned with, the versatile singer of no mean order, who seems sometimes 'Rastafarian', almost defying peer pressure by sporting natty hairdo and long skirts, wore the most beautifully enhancing make up on her face Friday night and had the crowd reveling in her beauty. They rocked to every word she spoke, while seemingly freeing themselves to be converted by the strength of the 'Strong One'.
Anthem of the morning
Closing a tight one-hour set with I Am Not Afraid, the anthem of the morning - there was no need for her to repeat the words, as the audience played the role of backup singers.
But the crowd would have none of it! And an encore brought her back on stage with the soulful, spine-tingling, far-reaching Roots, this hit song reverberated from her larynx followed by the piece that pushed her to stardom and gave innercity youths hope, Wrong Address.
Etana's set was followed by veteran reggae artiste Freddie McGregor, who took centrestage minutes after 2:00am giving notice he was there to "Nice up the place".
There was no doubt that he was bent on living up to the expectations when he took the audience down memory lane with Africa Here I Come, To be Poor is a Crime and Prophecy. As poetic as McGregor was, so was it evident that he had not lost his sting, and his antidote could be felt throughout the large crowd that gathered.
With Push Come to Shove and his signature tune Big Ship forming part of a morning preceded by nine years of bonafide love in Treasure Beach, McGregor made his contribution to So Much Things to Say.
The event which kicked off on time Friday evening, opened with the likes of the United States writers and poets Russell Banks and Sharon Olds and Jamaica's Michael Holgate, Diana McCauley and Helen Williams.