Thumbs up for Portland Jerk Festival

Gareth Davis Sr, Gleaner Writer

Folly, Port Antonio:

Patrons from as far as Westmoreland were among the thousands, who gathered at Folly Estate in Portland for the annual Portland Jerk Festival, which attracted a stellar cast of stars.

Held last Sunday on grounds adjacent to the Folly Great House, which was once a pristine beauty spot for honeymooners, the family fun day festival of jerk, met all expectations as children had a field day while enjoying the bounce-a-bout, the ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and other attractions.

Not even the traditional early morning showers, which left the ground heavily saturated, prevented patrons from piling unto the festival ground to satisfy, not only their appetite, but to be entertained by a star-studded line-up of artistes.

"The crowd got their money's worth," commented Colin 'Shaka Fame' Bell, public relations manager of Portland Jerk Festival.

"To have Beenie Man and Sizzla on the same stage was a plus for Portlanders. We had planned earlier to carry out remedial work on the grounds, but the owners of the property never consented to that move. I sincerely apologise to everyone for the adverse condition of the under-footing, which was caused by the inclement weather."

The day started with patrons pouring into the festival clad in multi-coloured clothing, with black plastic bags tied over their footwear to protect them from the mud.

Several higglers were kept busy as the demand for plastic bags increased. In fact, the price of the commodity doubled.

Just about every jerk stall was kept busy throughout the day, as the demand for jerk pork and chicken soared, while the various booths selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were also in demand.

Crowd wowed

The crowd was to later be wowed by former Digicel Rising Stars winner, Cameal Davis. During her rendition of The First Cut, Davis handed over the microphone to Olivia Grange, minister of youth, sports and culture, who sang the chorus. The cheers grew even louder than before.

Female sensation Etana, brought the crowd alive during a high-spirited performance, which also had the minister, who was backstage, rocking, to her many hit songs.

Etana's performance lasted for close to an hour, and when she exited the stage, the crowd still shouted for more.

Terri Linen performed well, and had the large crowd singing back-up.

Clad in white pants and a black jacket, Linen, was applauded by the crowd for every number.

Sizzla Kalonji took to the stage shortly after 11:30 p.m, and brought the crowd to life.

With hits including One Of Those Days, Words Of Devine, Thank You Mama, and Babylon, the artiste had the crowd in a frenzy.

Despite taking a swipe at homosexuals, he contained himself for the near one-hour performance.

Earlier the police, who were closely monitoring the stage area, only allowed two persons from Sizzla's entourage of approximately 20 to enter the stage.

A similar stance was taken by the lawmen against Beenie Man.

The King of the Dancehall was classy, agile, and smooth, as he displayed his dancing skills, while reeling out a barrage of hit songs, including Old Dog, Girl Dem Sugar, Nuff Gyal, and Blessed Be Thy Name.

A special appearance was also made by Hurricane, the 2010-2011 Magnum Kings and Queens of the Dancehall winner.