Diplomatic Week takes a look at Jamaica 50

The 14th Diplomatic Week got off to a rocking start on Monday at the Courtleigh Auditorium with a Cultural Evening showcasing traditional music and dance.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, saw performances from three continents and lots of Jamaican artistic spice thrown into the mixture. A minor change in schedule saw the Chongqing Arts Delegation from China taking the stage first. They set the tone for an entertaining evening as soprano Zhao Danni displayed jaw-dropping range, and Yang Kunhao performed the energetic 'face-off' dance where the performer changes masks at lightning speed. He had them clapping along and engaged in a comical stand-off with Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister A.J. Nicholson, who tried to remove one of his masks. Liu Guangyu on the erhu (a two-stringed bowed musical instrument) and the group's Peacock dance were also well received.

Great pieces

Representing Spain, Jorge Valenciano Rodriguez strummed his way into hearts performing three pieces, including the sugary Romance Anonimo.

Coming from the motherland of Africa, the Nigerian drummers, singers and dancers got the crowd moving again, causing even the most rhythmically challenged to shake something. A seamless segue into the Tivoli Dancers showed the similarities in movement with our African brothers. The Tivoli Dancers performed two pieces, Tigibration and Exodus, the latter coming after the Akwaaba Drummers had a pulsating set.

The Akwaaba Drummers, a quartet of musicians, for their part, thumped their various percussion instruments, singing traditional songs as they did so.

But the highlight of the evening was the musical lesson taught by Ibo Cooper and Friends. The former Third World member, teacher and showman joked with MC Fae Ellington that ordinary people had grey, white or silver hair. "This is platinum," he cracked.

Cooper traced the history of Jamaican music in a segment called '50 years in 15 minutes'. He started with mento, getting the audience to chant 'hol him Joe' to the classic tune before joking, "That was Mento Opus 51 by Ludwig Von Joe!"

Third World then highlighted Jamaica's attempts at R&B, effortlessly performing Easy Snapping before songbird Serena Constantine came out to playfully deliver Millie Small's iconic My Boy Lollipop.

Constantine remained with the band as they sauntered into rocksteady, and even Minister Nicholson couldn't resist getting down. Cooper apologised for the faux pas of leaving out ska, the audience acknowledging as much. But they forgave him and duly rocked to Eastern Standard Time, Ellington and Constantine 'dropping foot' to the crowd's delight.

It was then time for reggae, Constantine keeping them bouncing with Feel Like Jumping before lead guitar Kenroy Mullings dislodged the roof with his take of Bob Marley's Concrete Jungle.

Cooper then slyly introduced his old band's Now That We've Found Love by asking "a who dah band yah again?" before the quintet cranked up the machinery to deliver a few dancehall pieces, including Rum and Red Bull and Swaggerific.

The performances over, guests visited the various booths representing countries with embassies and high commissions in Jamaica.