Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
From left: Melonie Compton, Craig Sutherland, Michelle Compton-Nicholas at Arabian Night, held at 52 Norbrook Road, on Saturday, July 15.
An Arabian night, complete with belly dancers, camels and Arabian Knights, will remain fondly in the memories of those who attended Tessanne Chin's live show, Arabian Night, held in Norbrook on Saturday, July 15. In a theme-specific venue, patrons were treated to an all-inclusive party and riveting live show, staged by Klariti Productions, featuring upcoming artistes Tessanne Chin and Roots Underground.
The islandwide blackout threatened to hamper the show for some time, but thankfully the power returned in time for the performances to start, notably, not far off from the originally slated start time of 10:30 p.m. Many local promoters could take a page out of Klariti's book. Then again, a power outage couldn't have tempered the talents of Ms. Chin anyway; with such a powerful voice, who needs a microphone?
Local band Roots Underground opened for Tessanne, performing a selection of their music. Though the audience was unfamiliar with many of the songs, with the high energy of their front man and good composition of the instrumentals, they were well-received. Soon enough, the headliner emerged and proceeded to 'wow' her adoring fans, with her remarkable voice, and intense performance.
The crowd hung on every word she sang, their clear favourite being her performance of Hideaway, her single that is currently receiving heavy rotation on local radio. She performed a bevy of other songs, some familiar, others not so familiar, but who cares really - this girl could sing the alphabet and still rock! In keeping with the theme, Tessanne also performed a little belly dance during her set, which the male members of the audience, especially found particularly delightful. "She can whine for a 'chiney' girl!" commented one enthusiastic young man.
Despite all the nuances of staging a live show, Tessanne insists that patrons can expect more similar shows in the future. "I am not that popular, so I appreciate that so many people came to support me," she said. "I definitely plan to do this again, though it takes much planning, but I'd like to do service to the live performance market."
Big sister Tami Cynn, who is also a recording artiste, was there in support of her 'little sis.' "I turn assistant to her whenever she has a show," Tami said between laughs. "I go through all that she goes through, and I know the stress, so I feel proud 'til I bus,'" she added.
Tessanne's performance ended at approximately 1:30 a.m. and patrons spent the next hour or so dancing to an eclectic mix of dancehall, pop and alternative music played by Coppershot Disco.
