Curry Fest still grows

Thousands thoroughly entertained on Easter weekend

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Despite a busy weekend of entertainment activities in western Jamaica, the annual Curry Fest in Westmoreland was extremely successful, as thousands flocked the Manning's School's grounds.

Reeling from a brilliant performance at Live on the Waterfront inMontego Bay, reggae princess Etana showed that positive lyrics have the capacity to electrify an audience to the point where an encore becomes mandatory.

The Not Afraid singer allowed her vocals to mesmerise the Curry Fest crowd with countless hits. Each song urged a sing-a-long. Soon enough, Etana was no longer needed as the crowd was performing for her.

Neither Etana nor the crowd minded, however, as she engaged them throughout her performance.

According to Etana, she felt the freedom of being herself.

While the event has grown immensely since its first staging 11 years ago, The Gleaner-sponsored Curry Festival has managed to retain itscultural identity through its food and some aspects of the entertainment.

gospel segment

In reverence to Easter Sunday,the organisers included a gospel segment which scored well with patrons, who enjoyed the performances from the Manning's School Chorale.

Culture through dance was included in the programme through the efforts of Target Dancers and Versonic Vibes dancers who ignited the spirit of African dance tradition.

Certified diva Tifa was the sole dancehall female act that graced the stage and her musical wit was enough to get the crowd going before performances from T'Nez, Assassin and Aidonia.

When she did not have the crowd spelling to the song Spell It Out, she was busy telling themMove Your Body - and they followed every instruction effortlessly.

The show, however, experienced an anticlimax following the lengthy performances by several aspiring dancehall acts who wanted to show the crowd why they should get a break in the music industry.

Fast-rising sensation T'Nez was a welcomed break from the mediocre performances by aspiring acts and he showed his home parish why he is poised to be Jamaica's next big star through an electrifying performance.

Food is very important to one entertainer and that is why Food Kartel could not miss Curry Fest.

His usual witty lyrics and showmanship won the crowd over. So impressed was the crowd, that an encore was demanded.

A militant Assassin could do no wrong throughout his more than 20-minute performance. For many, that was not enough time to hear all Assassin had to say. His unquestionable lyrical prowess educated and entertained.

The presence of Aidonia created a temporary scramble in the crowd.

The brief stampede brought a chiding from the artiste. The crowd listened as Aidonia told them to calm down and just enjoy the show.

His closing performance, while short, was good enough to satisfy the audience who waited all evening to see him.