THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017. 15.
14. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017. THE VINCENTIAN
““Weekend W ken Week nd o of W WO WOW!” OW!!” Coryell Cory orye ry yelllll ret ye rreturned etu ettu urn urn rne ed fo forr their one night the th eir ei ir o ne nigh n igh ght ht sshow how iin how n Bequia. Vincentian Bequ qui uia ui a. Vi Vinc nccen cen nti nti nt tia t an an entrepreneur Basil en ntr ntr nt trep rep pren reneu ur ur B asiill Charles was on Charl arl rle es w as o n sstage tag age ge to to welcome Mustique wellcome e th the eM usti tiqu qu ue ue Blues musicians Bllu B ues mu ue mus sici cia ians ans tto o th the e beautiful Plantation beau aut uti tifu ti ifu full Pl ful P lant ant ntat tat ati ttio ti ion Hotel. Hottel.
Open O pen a air ir jjam am
HEADLINER HEAD EADLINER REGGAE REGGAE GAE LEGEND LEG GEND Freddie Fred reddie McGreMcGre cGreregor gave gor ga gav ave a memorable memorab rable performance packed pe perfo for formance ce to a pa ac acked ed crowd cro row owd wd at a De De Reef Reef in in Bequia Bequ equia this this past pas ast ast weekweekend, Bequia end, at the the Beq Bequia Mount Mountt Gay Ga ay y Music Mus usic Fest Fes es stt 2017. 2017. Freddie Fre red reddie and and his his s Big Big Ship Ship Band Ban Band had had audiences audiences ce es singing sing ging along along to his his is classics clas ass ssi ssics s for for well well over over an an hour. hour. But Freddie was But Fr Fred re reddie die wa as just just part thrilling part art off a th hri hril rilling g four-day, five-event music four four urr-d r-day y, fiv fi iv veve-eve ev vent vent mu usic Headliner Freddie Mc Gregor, Jamaican H festival, festiv fes tiival ival, al, described descr cri rib riibe ibed as as one one ne Reggae icon, had his audience singing R of of a kind kin kind in in the the CaribbeCari arib riibb be a along with him. an, place every an, that thatt takes take akes k kes pl lacce ce ev very very January, features Janua nu nuary ar ary ry, and and feat fea fe at atu atu tur ure ures res a wide music genres. wid wide variety vari ariet rietty t off mus mu sic gen ge nr nres res. T Text Source: BEQUIA MUSIC FEST C COMMITTEE Opening O pening with witth wit th st ste steel tee te el P Photo Credit: CLOUD ISLAND MEDIA
Zac Harmon returned with the Mustique Blues Festival musicians to thrill Blues enthusiasts.
S Saturday atu at tur urd ur day af aft afternoon’s fter ft errno rno oon’’s open-air the o pen-a air ir jjam am in am in th he he gardens Bequia ga arden ard ns of of B equ qui uia ui a Pla Pl ant ant ntat ati at ti tio on w as a n Plantation was an un u nfo nfo forg rge rg gettt tttab tab ablle o ne wi w iith th ha unforgettable one with ssurprise ur urpr rpris rise fo forr m any who any who many h ad no ot he ot eard ard off th the e had not heard dy ynam yna am mic ic du uo, ssisters uo isterrs rs dynamic duo, J ane ane ellle le and and J anine nine e Janelle Janine Xav Xa avi vier vi er o av avi av vier vi err S tri tr rin ri ngs ng gs Xavier off Xa Xavier Strings of Tr of rinid rin ri nidad d, p errf rfor rfo f rm rm min ing Trinidad, performing o n el e ele ect ctr trron ronic nic vio v ioli olins. M usic F est on electronic violins. Music Fest gol go ld ssponsor ponsor th the eB equ qui uia ui a Pl Pla ant ant nta agold Bequia Plantati tio on p rov ro vided th vid vi he p he errf rfe rfe fect f ct ve ven nue nue tion provided the perfect venue forr th fo t ea the aft ft fter errn rnoo noon fo forr a rel rrelaxing ella axi xiing ing g afternoon J am by th am the eb eacch ch. P ch. errf rfo rfo form f rm rmer erss er Jam beach. Performers iincluded inc nccl clude clu ed Th The eH onky nky Ton T onic nics, th he Honky Tonics, the B equ uia B uia lu lu ues es B and wi and ith vo ith oca allliist Bequia Blues Band with vocalist and g and gu uita uit ui ari ri rist B ris ob o bB erl er rlling lin ing ngho gh g ho off, f, guitarist Bob Berlinghof, k key eyb ey yb boarrd rd p lay yer Mi yer ikey key Wi iilllk k kie ie, keyboard player Mikey Wilkie, g gui uit uitari ari risst D ave av ve Wry Wrry Wo Worr rry rr ry,, ry guitarist Dave Worry, d dr rum ru ummer merr Jer J errry rry S iim mpson a mps nd drummer Jerry Simpson and Ut Uth than an M cInt nto osh ho nb ass. Th The e Uthan McIntosh on bass. aft af fter ft errn rnoo noon cconcluded onccl clude clu ed wi w ith ccounith ou un unafternoon with try tr ry sstar tar ar L eiisa Wa ay fr ay fro rom ro mC anada, ana Leisa Way from Canada, g gu uest sstarring ues tarr arrring ring wi ith th ith the e IImpac mp pac ac guest with b and. and band.
Sharing S haring the the st sta stage tag ta ge wi w with ith it th the the rregion reg egion Saturday S atu at tu urrday rday ni n night’s igh igh ght g ht’ t’ss mu t’ much uch uch an ant anticipatnti ti tici ciipa ipat aate d Freddie Fred Fr reddie die M cGre Grre rego go or ssegment or egme gment ed McGregor did not did not dis d isap app point oint nt.. P atr at tro ons ssang ang an disappoint. Patrons
The The fo four four-day ur--day ur event opened with ev ve ent o pene ed wit w it ith th a m assiv ive e tu ur urno rno out to to massive turnout he ear ar the the out o utssta ut ta and ndhear outstandiing in ng yo youn ung ttalent ung al ale ent off young th he Elite Elliiittte eS teell the Steel O rch rch rc hestr hes tra ao n Orchestra on T Th h hu hur urssday ni n igh igh ght h, ht, ht Thursday night, w wi iith th a 1 4-pie piece with 14-piece o rche rc ch chestr tra a lled ed by orchestra Ke esslon Wi Wil lson, at Kesslon Wilson, th he Frangipani Frrang angi ng gip gi pan ani ni the H ottel ot el el.. Hotel. Frri riday nig rid n ig ght ght gh h w as Friday night was re sserved erv er rve ed fo forr th the e reserved Mustique M Mus usti tiqu que qu eB Blues lu ues Fe F estival e stiv tiiv v val al mu mus sici cia ans ans Festival musicians att the the Bequia Bequ qui uia ui a Pl llantation ant ant ntat ati at ti tio on H ottel ot ell. Plantation Hotel. Th his year, his year, yea ar, ol ld This old fav fa av vorites v vori vo ori rittes llike ike favorites g gu u uitarist uit ui tari ari risst and and guitarist vo ocalist o ca ali list Jo oe L ouis uis vocalist Joe Louis Walker, W a alllke ker ker, gu gui guitarist uiiita tari ari risst a an n nd d vo voc cal aliist IIan an and vocalist Si S iiegal, eg gal al al,, gui g guitarist ui uittari ari risst and and Siegal, vo ocalist o ca ali list Z ac ac vocalist Zac Harm arm rmo on, vo voc ca ali list Mahalia Cummins and the 2 Mile Hill, Harmon, vocalist Gregg J Gre ack ack cksson Gregg Jackson gave a charged rendition of hip hop and Murali Mur ural ral alii and and dance hall numbers.
Vocalist Mahalia Vo Voccal allis ist M ahal ah alia ali Cummins, Andre Cum umm mm min ins, A And nd dre re Clarke, keyboardist Clark ark rke ke,, ke ke e eyb ey y oard ybo yb ard dist dis and vocalist and vo ocali alist off 2 Mile Hill created Miile ile Hi H ill ill cre cr re reat atted ted a high voltage finish hiigh hi gh vo olt ol lta age ge fi inish ini of danceof hip h hiip p hop, hop, d anceanc hall, well ass hall ll, as as we ell el ll a some their som m me e off th the eir ei ir original oriigi igi gin nal al ssongs ongs gs llike ike ike “Billionaire” which “Bil illllio lio onai aiirrre” e” wh hich hich was well received wa s w wel elll ll re rec ceiiv iv ive ve ved d by young crowd. by the the yo youn un n ng g cr rro o ow wd. Popular Shatta Po opula ular ar DJ JS hatt attta tta atkins, The he Baro Baron, moved the crowd at De Reef with his sweet of of Bequia Bequ qui uia ui a jjoined oine oine ed th the e Timothy Watkins, team team and and ke kept ptt th the e soca sounds. vibes flowing vib vib ibe es flow fl ow wing wing throughout the evening, th h hro ro rou u ugh gh ghou ou ut th ut h he e eve ev ve ven nin ng, g, closing out the party clo cl osing ou ut th ut h he ep art art rty ty y at a nearly 4am! ne earl arl rly ly 4 am! am! Sunday afternoon De Sun nday aft af fter fterrrn n noo oon at a D e Reef Lower Bay offered Reef in in L Lo o owe we e err B ay of ff ffe ffe ferrre ed more performore e incredible incrrre edib dibl ible p errfo erf forrfo mances. The Bequia Kids m a anc n c e s . Th h he e B e qui qu uia ui a Ki K Kid ds (L-R): Jennie and Janelle Xavier enthralled as much as they entertained on Pan Steel Orchestra o nP an St an teell O rrch ch che estr tra ra with their electronic violins. opened afternoon, o pen ned th the e aft a fttter errrno no oon, followed Music Fest fol fo llowe ed by Mu usic F est legend Toby Armstrong with along Freddie’s classic tunes begging one more…. along tto alo o Fr rre eddi die’ e’ss cl e’ lassic tu tun n nes es b egg ging for ging ffo or jjust ust o n ne e mo ore re… …. . legen gend To ob ob by y Arm Ar rm rmsstr tro ro ron ng wit w itth th his guitar like Ship’, ‘What gonna The evening had opened with like ke ‘‘Big Big gS hip hip p’, ‘W What Wha a yo you u go gon n nna na Th h he e eve ev ve ven nin ni ng gh ad o pene ed wi w iith th th the e his extraordinary ex ext xtr tra tr aordi aor din nar ary ry g gui uiitar itar sskills. kil kills. Abuza, Yaphatto Dynado’, you’, ‘When push young, extremely do’, ‘‘Stop Stop lloving ov ovi vin vi n ng g yo o ou u’, ‘W ‘Wh Whe en p ush yo you u ung ng g, ex g, xtre xtr xt e em melly ly energetic en n ne erge rg gettic ti tic Abu Ab uza, Ya Yap aph ap hatt atttto to and and D Dyn yn namite and their band ‘niced come many more. Signal Band off D Dominica come tto o sshove’ h ho o ove ve v e’’ and e and m any ny m orre e. S ig ig gn gna nal al B and o and o om min m inic nica wit with wi w itth th miiittte m ea nd tth the hei eir b and ‘n nicced nic ed up up the place with Vincy Off His warm energy had the crowd their unique version off ssoca. His w arm ar rm en n ne ergy rg gy h ad th h he e cro cr o ow wd the th eir ei ir un niqu niq qu ue ev ver errsion o oca. the p lace ace wit w it ith th Vi Vin ncy ttalent. alent ale n .O nt. course, Sweet Soca Man ccou ou urs rse, Sw weet S oca M an an Baron was hit, Baro aro on w as a hit h itt, li llighting iigh gh ght hti tin ting n up p the well known the crowd crrow cro wd tto o his his w wel el elll kn k no no ow wn wn sweet tunes sweett ssoca oca tu tun nes llike ike ke ‘‘SomeSomebody’, it’, ‘Tell body’ dy y’,, ‘‘Feeling y’ Feeling ling it t’, ‘‘Te t’, t’ Te ell el ll m me e why’ more. wh why hy y’ and y’ and m ore e. When asked had When na ske ked d if if sshe he eh ad a do’ Foster joined with local band K’Netic to provide a Akeido ‘Keido’ great weekend, one patron great we gre eek kend, o ken ke ne ep at atr trrron on icy-Style y-Style jam. genuine Vicy-Style from the USA fro fr ro rom m th h he eU SA ssaid, aid, aid “WOW! wait “W WOW! ""Can’t WOW Can’ an’ n’tt w ait ait until year"! un unt ntil nt nti ti til il next n nex e ext ex xtt ye ear ar" a r"! visiting The vis The v isitti tiing ng g musicians, many mussici mu cia ans, and ans and m any pat atr tro ons al a llll sspoke pok ke ke patrons all h hig ig gh gh hly ly o h he e ex xccep xc ep phighly off th the exceptional ho tio ospital italit alit ity ty a nd tional hospitality and smooth run ru n nn nin nin ng g off th the e smooth running fessti fe tiv iva al – and al and th the e festival un niqu niqu que e, m agi giccal, al, and and unique, magical, int nti tiimat imatte te atm at tmo osphere e intimate atmosphere in B equ qui uia ui a fo forr wh hich hich in Bequia which the Bequia Bequ uia M uia usic the Music Fest is is fa amou amou us. Fest famous. The perennial favourites Elite Steel Orchestra, was again in impressive mode as they opened four days of music.
The crowd at ‘De Reef Reef’’ for the grand finale.
Way, Canadian Country Star and Leisa Way, the local band Impac combined to create an impactful performance.
The grounds of the Bequia Plantation Hotel provided an ideal venue for the afternoon open-air jam.