Yes, we know, “when it hits, you feel no pain…”
The only pain felt at last night’s Fête de la Musique in Kingston was when the Red Stripe beer ran out, suddenly and precipitously. I should know. I was one of those serving the thirsty crowd. It was a hot night, tingling with humidity, and no breeze. The tree under which we had set up the bar seemed to exude heat. Not even the moonlight that washed the city sky a little later cooled us down. But the music helped. A lot.
There was an air of anticipation as the crowd gathered on the lawn adjoining the Alliance Française de la Jamaïque in Kingston. Within half an hour it had grown rapidly, and chairs also ran out. Blue cloths spread on the ground accommodated the overspill.
Now, I have to tell you that I didn’t catch the names of many of the musicians last night – mainly because I was busy breaking up lumps of ice and pouring Merlot. Every now and then I sneaked over to the red-white-and-blue-wrapped stage and grabbed a few photos, with mixed results. But I hope that I can give you a flavor of the event. And I apologize that my photo captions are not always very informative.
I think it was partly the heat; but the “vibe” was so laid-back that half-way through the evening we all began to feel like family. There were two small curly-haired brothers, one with a plaster over one eye, who regularly sidled up to take a look at the packets of potato chips. There was the more sedate crowd, and a good sprinkling of diplomats, relaxing. There was an increasing number of young people as the evening progressed – students of the Alliance and from elsewhere, and a scattering of self-conscious teens.
I think the “family” feel was mainly due to the music, though. In the way that music is supposed to, it brought us closer together. The crowd was appreciative of it all, starting with the summoning sounds of the Akwaaba Drummers. From there, the music flowed almost non-stop throughout the evening, with the deep-voiced Devon Yetman (whose French I am in awe of, by the way) deftly guiding us throughout. Saffron, petite and husky-voiced, sang Lou Reed‘s “Satellite of Love” and a French ditty. The legendary reggae guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith came on stage with a large group of stately Rastafarians robed in white (his “Inna di Yard); his set was slightly quirky, mostly acoustic (with some slide guitar coming from somewhere) – and soulful. We had a very youthful string ensemble who played beautifully. We had a snippet of folk music – Janine Coombs sang beautifully, accompanied by a flautist and her guitar. Then a dash of reggae, some gentle rock, a little R and B, another dash of reggae. We had a very promising young band from the School of Music called the Old School Band. Runkus, the beanpole-thin singer, admitted to being nineteen years old, and performed among other songs an interesting, un-reggae version of a Bob Marley song with a young singer with a clear voice called Eva. And Amanda Taylor accompanied herself on keyboards and sang powerfully about love and loss. Amanda is what they call an “up and coming talent” – and that is for sure.
And late in the evening, as the moon slid higher in the sky, the accomplished guitarist Maurice Gordon (who is also an educator and an amazing mentor to young musicians) took to the stage with fellow guitarist Seretse Small, for a short but delicious set that included Sonny Rollins‘ “St. Thomas.” A jazz singer sang, the smaller, but very mellow crowd applauded warmly, and an air of satisfaction hung over the bright oasis of light and music, with the Alliance’s towering dark mango trees as a backdrop.
Someone suggested that there should have been a spread of French cuisine for the evening (regardless of cost, one presumes). But no – what I love about the Fête de la Musique is its simple and unpretentious concept. It’s open to all. It’s music. Anyone can come, listen – and participate, both amateurs and professionals. And good music plus people equals enjoyment. Like many simple ideas, it really works.
Good times. Thank you, Alliance Française.
Footnote on Fête de la Musique: The first took place in Paris in 1982. It was the brainchild of Maurice Fleuret, France’s Director of Music and Dance in Jack Lang’s Ministry of Culture. The French are fond of cultural events on the streets – we have been to a few that took place in the small town near my parents’ house. Two important rules for the Fête de la Musique are that all musicians must perform for free, and that the events are free to the public. And so they do, with many Fêtes like Kingston’s taking place all over the world – from Pasadena to the Philippines, from Lebanon to Lithuania.
Footnote on Earl “Chinna” Smith: Born in Greenwich Town, Kingston, in 1955, guitarist Earl Smith has played with almost every reggae artiste you can think of throughout his career – including with Bob Marley and his sons Julian and Ziggy, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and many others. I have seen his name on countless album covers. During the 2000s he recorded a series of albums with a number of veteran musicians in his own yard, and has been playing a lot of acoustic music.
Petchary's Blog 
Johnny Clarke was the new life-blood of the Rockers era, becoming one of Jamaica’s biggest artists, inspiring his contemporaries and promoting the message of Rasta to the mainstream Jamaican through music with universal appeal. Both with its rootsy, cultural messages and its lovers refrains, the music fortified what is possibly the most crucial era of reggae, bringing “Move out of Babylon,” “Roots Natty Congo,” “Left With a Broken Heart,” “Rock With Me Baby,” “Get Up And Fight For Your Rights” to the massive. Johnny became known as the “Hit Machine” in his day, and sometimes as a “Studio Idler” as he spent so much time in the studios, where he often helped season and accent many other artists’ hit songs both with vocal and instrumental ideas.
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Yes, I always loved Johnny Clarke and the music of the Rockers era! He is still around – comes from inner city Kingston. I loved his cool vocals. Thanks for reminding me of Johnny.
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