Lost in Time stamps its class

With two stages erected, it was double the pleasure and entertainment value, as the usual lengthy band changes were eliminated with the flow of movement from one to the next being relatively easy for day one of the third staging of Lost In Time.

The promise of top-tier acts saw the crowds converge on the Hope Botanical Gardens last Saturday for premium meals, merchandise and, of course, good music. By night’s end, Lila Iké had emerged as one of the standout highlights, delivering a polished, high-strength set marked by seamless flow and presence, while the cascade of surprise guests – particularly Koffee – ensured the festival closed on an undeniable high.

Resplendent in red, Tessanne Chin was the first established act to grace the main stage, and she gave lots of energy with Messenger and Black Books. At the front of the stage were sister Tami Chin Mitchell and proud mother Christine Weston, who were dancing along to her performance, while father Richard Chin was her engineer who ensured the sound quality was crisp. With work done, he then stood on the sidelines to watch his baby girl deliver hit after hit to a very appreciative audience. With Underneath It All, she did a call-and-answer session with the crowd and got them even more involved in her performance. Giving a special shout-out to all the women who have laid the foundation for her musically, she launched into No No No, Feel Like Jumping, Shy Guy, and Bam Bam.

Ever smooth in his delivery, Mortimer said he was still a big advocate of love and asked those in the audience who shared his sentiments to put their hands on their chest to feel the magic of a heart beating. Flowers and Flames, Not a Day Goes By, and Lightning had people swaying to the music, and couples on blankets cuddled closer as the songs solidified his message of the power of love.

Dressed in white, Tanya Stephens connected with patrons, taking them through her ‘90s women’s anthems that have always been certified crowd pleasers and at times spilling the tea about how to navigate life and relationships without losing yourself. The first chords of You Nuh Ready fi Dis Yet got women screaming as they came closer to hear every bit of advice she had to give. Good Ride, and Boom Wuk had the women singing along to every lyric, and when Stephens took intermittent breaks to share her thoughts in between songs, they hung on for every word. Raunchy without being explicit, she launched into Goggle and with What’s Your Story, she talked about human nature and wanting to dump people but hating to be dumped. This led to Can’t Breathe, and No Woman No Cry. Expressing her hope for a more peaceful Jamaica, she delivered What a Day. It’s a Pity and These Streets rounded out her free therapy session with the crowd.

Lila Iké made her appearance dressed in blue from head to toe, including long two-toned blue braids. With Where I’m Coming From and Fried Plantain, she got down to business and got the tired bodies off the ground and dancing in place. By now, the crowd was massive and brought out their lighters and phones to show their approval for the music being provided. Showing off her guitar skills, she jammed to Prophecy and 96 Degrees in the Shade, but the heat of the lights made her take a break to remove her leather jacket and show a little skin. Keeping it sweet, she went into Place in Your Heart, Are You Satisfied, and The Sweetest Taboo.

FOUNDATION STAGE

Earlier, Joby Jay built steady momentum with Big Girl Ting, Prove It and Bare, later inviting Chris Malachi on stage for their soulful duet Try, keeping the crowd engaged despite the humidity. Iotosh then transformed the Foundation Stage into a jam session, moving through Bad News and Perfection, and paying tribute with Lose a Friend, and closing with Can’t Stop a Man and Have You Ever. Yeza made a bold entrance on the back of a bike before inviting the ‘Queen of the Pack’, Patra, to greet the audience. She powered through Road Runner, Tek Chat, Bullseye, Organic and Nuh Trouble We with her signature rude girl roots reggae energy.

The honour of closing the show went to co-producer Protoje, who came out smoking with Kingston Be Wise, and the band pulled up for maximum effect. With Like Royalty, Blood Money, and Protection, it was a huge jam session on the stage.

KOFFEE SURPRISE

The next portion, he said, was the love segment, and Alaine touched the stage with No Ordinary Love before Romain Virgo blessed them with I am Rich in Love and Love Doctor. Stating that he was going to dance for the ladies, Protoje pulled out his moves and surprised patrons as Koffee entered the stage. Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley followed for their collaboration At We Feet, and the crowd erupted. When Stephen Marley sang the first line of The Mission, it was near pandemonium as the capacity crowd started marching and dancing in place. They closed out the evening with Welcome to Jamrock as day one ended promptly at 11:55 p.m.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Protoje said he enjoys sharing the stage with friends, as it not only enriches his performance but also serves as a strong reminder that unity makes the synergy on stage even better. “After a time, when you know someone, you can guess how they will move around the stage and deliver a song without you even saying a word to them. You just know the flex and know how the talent ago manifest so that the performance is enhanced tenfold. It’s all about love and furthering conscious music for the betterment of the fans. At the end of the day, what we do is for the fans.”

Lost in Time closed on Sunday, where the stage was set for headliner Chronixx. Jesse Royal, Jah 9, Naomi Cowan, Dyani, Royal Blu and Dahvid Slur were also expected to perform.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm,com