Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer
R&B sensation, Ne-Yo, performs at Constant Spring Golf Club, on Saturday, December 16.

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Performers from abroad have been thrilling Jamaican audiences for years, pulling in large crowds to stage shows, annually.

The Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Reggae Sumfest and Reggae Sunsplash, among others, have seen some of the year's best performances and largest crowds.

Marvin 'Horseman' Wallace, promoter of shows such as 'To Mom With Love' with the Manhattans and the 'Weekend on the Harbour' series, which has featured Jerry Butler and Millie Jackson said there was always a demand for foreign acts.

"We appeal to foreign acts. It's what people are interested in. Those shows are well supported. I am looking for a certain type of person, not the young people. Older generations, who want most of those artistes. That's the market I'm targeting. Because these artistes bring back memories, whether it be of your first love or otherwise," he said.

Air Supply proved twice this year that soft rock can attract huge crowds in Jamaica, as they sold out the National Indoor Sports Arena for 'Air Supply in Concert', in November. This was after taking the house down at the 2006 staging of the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, in Montego Bay, St. James, in January.

Massive crowds

The November concert was a precursor to the 2007 Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and one can only expect that the festival will attract massive crowds, as predicted by the festival's promoters, who have moved to a larger venue.

Overseas acts featured over the festival's 10-year span include George Benson, Patti Labelle, Al Jarreau, Alicia Keyes, Kenny Rogers, Mary J. Blige, James Ingram and Nancy Wilson. This year will be graced with the likes of favourite, Kenny Rogers, Micheal Bolton and Abba.

At least one promoter of all-inclusive parties is following the foreign trend. The organisers of 'Blink', recently brought Ne-Yo to the island for the first time.

"We brought a difference in terms of presentation. It's in an attempt to break the monotony," said Damian McGann, director of marketing for Hybrid Events, promoters of the show.

However, despite the hype surrounding these foreign artistes, local acts are not left out in the cold. Blink saw the likes of Voicemail and Tessanne Chin, while the other shows also use local acts. One might wonder why promoters have not decided to put on a stage show with only international acts, but the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM) does not believe that to be of interest to local artistes.

No threat

Desmond Young, JFM president, claimed that while international acts pose no threat to local artistes, having an entirely international show is not in the interest of local acts. According to the JFM, "a ratio of 50 per cent of local and 50 per cent foreign artistes should comprise any package that features a foreign act."

According to Young, it is a long-standing arrangement with the promotions community that whenever a foreign act is being promoted the package should have local artistes.

"Our rule is to promote Jamaica's interests, promote our artistes' interests, no matter the genre," he said.

Young stated that if a show does not have local artistes then the JFM would intervene to have dialogue with the promoters, as was with the case with a 'Sashi' concert several years ago.