A star-studded cast of entertainers filled Golden Square Freedom Park with the sounds of Christmas, delighting the scores of people attending Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Union Ltd’s (BPWCCUL) annual free concert last Friday night.
Titled We Season: Night Of The Stars, from the pre-show entertainment comprising a strolling trio of musicians delivering tuk music, the Mother Sally who gave dance lessons, the Grinch and Santa right down to The Most Honourable Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire singing Boat Ride, it was an awesome event.
With the festive lights and décor adding to ambience in The City space, the audience settled in early to enjoy the lineup of performances that included the NIFCA award-winning dance group Dimension Elite whose choreography to Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me which was well received.
Singer Nikita opened the show with two beautiful renditions of Someday at Christmas and Do You Hear What I Hear? She was followed by the awardwinning St Leonard’s Boys’ Steel Orchestra which brought the energy with their lively renditions.
People nodded their heads, tapped their feet, swayed in time to beats of the set which included Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Give Love on Christmas Day, Little Drummer Boy with a solo from their drummer, Natahlee’s Carolling Carolling and John King’s Put Christ In Your Christmas. People not only cheered and applauded after each song but some of them recorded.
Creative
After the award-winning poet Akeem StonedwithCupid Chandler’s creative take on the popular holiday song It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year was filled with humour, satire and relatable Barbadian occurrences and accuracy tickled some people, Raanan Hackett, a member of De Big Show (calypso tent), sang Give Love on Christmas Day and This Christmas. Both artistes were well received.
As usual, the award-winning boys from Britton’s Hill evoked cheers of delight.
Their performances started with the band playing Silver Bells and a fusion of Crazy’s Put Jesus in Your Christmas and Piece Ah Pork by Scrunter. Immediately following was the choir – not the full complement – who sang the Caribbean flavoured O Come, All Ye Faithful and Biggie Irie’s Little Drummer Boy with some chanting people loved.
The reigning Scotiabank Junior Soca Monarch Kymani Mr Showman Devonish gave a great rendition of O Holy Night and a reggae version of Mary, Did You Know? which he released last year before Nicovia sang one of her favourite hymns Angels We Have Heard On High in a Caribbean style and Grown Up Christmas List originally done by the late Natalie Cole but popularised by Amy Grant.
Vocal powerhouse Paula Hinds thrilled with her renditions of Love Lifted Me joined by the audience and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Pastor John Yarde also had people singing along during his performances of his songs Caribbean Christmas and Christmas Is Here which he recorded with Mikey.
Mr Blood, also known as Mr Christmas because of his love for the holiday, spread his cheer around liberally. He sang what he said was one of his favourite Christmas songs It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year and then treated the audience to his two new releases, Sharing Christmas in the reggae genre, and Christmas Mood, which is soca.
Then it was time for Red Plastic Bag’s performance. At the mention of his name by MC Paula Ann Jackman, cheers of excitement rang across the park; he did not disappoint. He sang the ever-popular Maisie, I’m Alive which the audience eagerly joined in and then Boat Ride where he was joined at the front of the stage by some boys from St Cyprian’s Boys School who paid tribute to him at NIFCA this year.
Besides the performances, people had multiple chances to win BPWCCUL prizes after answering questions posed by Jackman.
There were also welcoming remarks from president of the 55-year-old credit union Lindell Earle who said the annual Christmas concert was not “just about music and celebration” but “unity, generosity and gratitude”. He said the event was a reminder of why the financial institution exists which was to “support, uplift and empower” its members and the communities it served.
He gave a special welcomed to the children of the Child Care Board saying the credit union was “delighted” they were there and that their presence “remind us of the importance of compassion, care and creating spaces where every child feels valued, supported and able to shine”.
Earle also said they were pleased to have the union’s philanthropic arm the Legacy Foundation whose volunteers were collecting donations from the audience which would go to fulfilling their mission of “improving lives and building stronger communities”.
(GBM)
