Musical Delights, a splendid affair

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

There was a tremendous pouring of love on love's most celebrated day. The occasion was the second Lion's Club of Kingston charity fund-raiser dubbed, Musical Delights II.

The musical love fest was held in the ballroom of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston and featured some of Jamaica's finest musicians such as the Bare Essentials and vocalists Karen Smith, Ernie Smith, Errol Lee, A.J. Brown and Keisha Patterson.

Each performed with passion and vitality, using his or her voice to paint love in all its shapes and forms.

The variegated picture of love began with Harold Davis and Friends. Dressed in the colours of Valentine's Day, the group explained that love can
Fly Me to the Moon
. And the group concluded their act by painting the gallantry of love with 'I will stay with you through the ups and the downs'. And to reinforce this knightly act, Davis interjected a little humour, at intervals, "even with recession", "even with IMF" and "even with Air Jamaica".

An awesome love

Vocalist Winsome Benjamin, Maria Myrie and Saxophonist Damon Riley, also decked in the colours of St Valentine, painted the picture of an awesome love.

For Myrie, it made her
Feel Like Jumping
and this happened
Time After Time
. While for Riley, one should
Cherish the Love
because
People Make Love Go Round
; and Benjamin asked, "Have I told you lately that I love you?" They all made their contribution in their own unique style.

On the other hand, while acknowledging that love can be beautiful in "I want to give you some good loving" (sung in part to her husband), Velia Espeut with her rich tenor vocals showed the pain of love with
Help Me Make It Through the Night
while imploring that it is quite acceptable to "let her cry, for she's a lady". Espeut's rather entertaining performance was further punctuated with witty exclamations like "singing nice" and "we going sexy" enhanced with the appropriate facial expressions.

For young and talented Keisha Patterson fully clad in red; and with a voice that belies her slender frame, the mature response was
Our Day Will Come
. She reinforced her stance with a Philyis Dillion's classic,
Don't Stay Away
.

Veteran and internationally acclaimed vocalist, Ernie Smith, supported Espeut's stance by opening his act with
Tears on My Pillow
, before he launched into
Duppy or Gunman
and his hilarious take on the Jamaican people in
That's the Kind of People We Are
. And, on the request for an encore by the captivated audience, Smith denied their chant of "pitta patta", instead he highlighted the ills of uncommitted love with
Keep on Doing What You Doing Sammy
.

Lofty story

Karen Smith, wore her views of love in a lovely blue dress. While meandering her way through the audiences, she too told the lofty story "My love has no beginning, my love has no end" and "You make me feel like a natural woman."

Not to be outdone, A.J. Brown, also wearing the predominant colours of the Sunday evening, began his shout-out on love with
You Raise Me Up
. But the visual artist that he his, Brown made the boldest mark on the canvas when he told the audience to think about Haiti before launching into
Love People More Than Money
.

The song was a fitting choice as it reflected the objective of Musical Delights: fund-raising for charity.

President of the Kingston Lion's Club, John Patterson, told the audience that funds from the club support charities such as The Golden Age Home and Walker's Home of Safety.

Pleased by the turnout, Patterson announced that he was happy for the support and said that the refurbished building for the Sight Foundation will be opened on March 19.

The evening's emcee was Heather 'Brown Sugar' Grant, while The Bare Essentials and Harold Davis bands provided backing for the artistes.