'All In The Mix' finds the right ingredients

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

ON THE day after the predicted rapture, the Immaculate Conception High School Auditorium was the scene of something out of the ordinary.

Splendid performances, passionate deliveries wrapped with witty remarks, shaped the story of the third staging of the St Benedict The Moor Catholic Church-organised event - All In The Mix Brawta. In essence, it was a show worth experiencing.

First reggae, ska, jazz and blues and gospel were performed by a short list of singers accompanied by a band of four members. Then there was the Jamaican food such as fritters, sweet potato pudding, toto, along with complimentary red wine. Additionally, there was the display of old-time Jamaican artefacts (for want of a better word) such as a chimney, a non-electric iron, and things of that nature, placed near the entrance of the building. So what is the idea of throwing the latter items in the mix?

Eunice Forbes, a member of the organising team put this seemingly odd choice of ingredient in perspective for The Gleaner.

"It was just to bring back memories, old time memories. Of course, the younger generation does not know what we use to use then ... they will get a chance to see," Forbes explained.

While that was the idea, it was a mature audience that was taken down the musical memory lane. And it began with Chris Demontague's closing piece; an Otis Redding classic, I've Been Loving You, bringing the young Munro College graduate's energetic performance to an end.

Tina Simone, the first of three females on the programme, (MC Heather Grant not included) after announcing that God is truly amazing, sang Secret Hideaway before telling the audience "I am going to take you far back with a little blues" and then launched into a magnificent rendition of 100 Days.

The five vocalists from Rollington Town Seventh-day Adventist Church, who go by the name Word, contributed to the "bring back memories" party with In The Still Of The Night after throwing in For Your Love, among others.

expanding theme

When the witty Velia Espeut, with a powerful voice, began her stint, she further expanded on the theme of love.

"How many of you are in love?" she asked and then continued with "Could someone bring a chair and bring my lovely husband to sit on it?" And with her request fulfilled, she also sat on a chair, faced him and began a serenade with Incredible, That's What You Are. The audience approved.

Not to be outdone, Ossie D (without Stevie G) dedicated Bring It On Home To Me to his wife, Lydia.

Clad in full white, the former member of the now defunct dance group the Fabulous Flames, delighted when he showed the cowfoot dance. His other contributions to the mix included Nice Time.

After an intermission, there were more great performances from Boris Gardiner, Benjy Myaz and Judy Emanuel. All three returned for encores, though Gardiner's was the most entertaining, and, according to Grant, "revealing".

This was so because the soulful Jamaican musical icon was asked to perform a ska dance. Prior to that, Gardiner gave a performance of hits like Someone Loves You, Honey and I Want To Wake Up With You.

Emanuel was scintillating. After beginning with I Want To Be With You, she gave a Diana Ross impersonation with a medley of the artiste's popular songs such as My Baby Don't Care, I Hear A Symphony and Stop In The Name Of Love. Emanuel ended her act with Love Me Forever.

Myaz had the stage transformed into a carnival of performers. For the performance, Myaz had two back-up singers, a conga drummer, four dancers and a trumpeter join Desi Jones & School Band. But it was easy to look past all that once his performance began. It was sweet music to the ears.

The proceeds earned from All In The Mix Brawta, an admittedly fabulous occasion, will go towards the Church's outreach programmes.