Gospel Night on the Waterfront generates most interest

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

The Coke Zero Live on the Waterfront Music Festival set for April 22-25 at Pier One in Montego Bay is creating a major buzz in the western city, but of all the nights, it is the final night, the Gospel night, that is generating the most interest.

Gospel Night is set for Monday, April 25, Easter Monday, and will feature Carlene Davis, DJ Nicholas, Sister Scully, Stitchie, Prodigal Son and Judy Mowatt, among a host of other inspirational gospel acts.

Jason Russell of the promoters Live Entertainment tells The Gleaner that the response from the churches to Gospel Night has been very encouraging. "The churches are creating a lot of buzz around Gospel Night," he said. "They have been buying up blocks of tickets."

The promoters have offered churches special rates on the tickets for the event. Tickets are being sold for $1,200 presold and $1,500 at the gate.

The promoters, however, have been offering churches special packages, where groups of 20 or more can get tickets for $1,000 if they buy those tickets through their churches.

Creating a stir

This has created quite a stir. But, there are other factors as well that have made the Gospel Night so popular.

Pastor Kenroy Salter of the Praise Chapel in Montego Bay, which serves the Catherine Mount and Mount Salem communities, believes the Gospel Night is something the city of Montego Bay really needs.

"It's how the (popular) music is going," he suggested. "People are turned off by the negative music."

It is in that context that he believes the gospel night of Live on the Waterfront is going to be a real treat for those in attendance.

"It seems like it's going to be a real whopper," he said.

Over the last decade or so, Montego Bay, considered to be the tourism capital of Jamaica, has witnessed startling increases in crime and general decadence. It is against this background that Pastor Salter believes the Gospel Night could come to serve a higher purpose.

"It's spreading the gospel through music and praise, dance. The timing is also good because it is the Lenten season and it's Easter Monday night, so people can experience clean entertainment for the whole family," he said.

Barrington Sergeant of the Montego Bay chapter of Jamaica Youth for Christ has similar sentiments to those expressed by Pastor Salter.

Sergeant is also coordinating the events for Gospel night and thinks, with the right promotion, the night will be as big as any other night. He also cites the novelty of having a Gospel Night at the festival as helping drive interest.

Good injection

"This is new. Normally, you don't have a gospel night at an event like this, so it's a good injection, a phenomenon," he said. "People are seeing it as a new thing."

He, too, suggested that patrons may be a little fed up with some of the music that is usually heard at these music festivals and would be happy to know they will be able to bring the family out to an event such as this.

He feels Prodigal Son will be "a big hit on the night".

According to Sergeant, the entertainer has experienced some domestic problems recently, but he is looked at as a person "who has been there and back but has continued to do what he does best. Plus, he performs where other gospel acts fear to tread," Sergeant said.

He explained that Prodigal Son is not averse to performing at secular music festivals as he uses each occasion to spread the gospel.