Sweet, seductive, Soul in the Sun
Published:Monday | October 13, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
Dru Hill made sweet love to the Millenniums; caressed the soul of the Baby Boomers and took Generation X down memory lane.
The crème de la crème American rhythm and blues group, made their mark at the inaugural Soul in the Sun Music Festival last Friday night, securing space and 'shelf life' for an event that will rival all other events of its kind in Jamaica.
The incredibly talented group LUST, with members Singing Melody, Lukie D, Thriller U and Tony Curtis; Meeting in my Bedroom's Silk; and the sexy and sultry Keith Sweat; all delivered an unrivaled performance at the first time event, tugging at the hearts of music lovers, hungry for entertainment in western Jamaica.
Weak presentation
The only artiste who succeeded in disappointing the audience was former New Edition lead singer, Johnny Gill, who declared he came to party, but was very selective in his choice of party fans. Gill spent all of three songs singing to a group of approximately 30 people who surrounded him at the front of the stage inside the Aqueduct venue, owned by Rose Hall Developments.
Gill didn't help to bolster his weak presentation by introducing new releases from his compilation, instead of showcasing his impressive repertoire. A mistake that cost him dearly, as he was the only low note on Night 1 of the international music festival.
It was Dru Hill's blond-haired Sisqo and his fiery and earth shattering dancers, who understood the importance of stage appearance, connected with the young people, who were the ones who knew the words to hit after hit.
During their first class performance, they took the volume down, directing their attention to the single women, with their 1998 hit In My Bed, reminding them they didn't want to be lonely fools, with "we are not making love no more", and bringing their visit to Jamaica to a crescendo with You Are Everything.
The magnificent performance was complemented by Silk's lead singer Gary Jenkins, whose sex appeal emanated throughout the venue, making waves, while taking women in awe as hostages.
After all, most of these events are staged particularly with the idea of satiating the appetite of females, and Silk weren't about to lose out on this known fact.
Clean, stylish and dapper, with vocals created specifically for lovemaking, when the trio did, There's a Meeting in the Bedroom, they stroke the senses and unleashed what could only be described as foreplay.
The venue was right, the audience was good looking and the weather was perfect. Although the crowd was much smaller than the organizers may have anticipated, it was obvious that a show of this calibre would have sold out pretty easily had it been staged in the capital city, Kingston.
LUST's Versatility
The group that made every Jamaican in the house proud, LUST, had a funky reggae party before taking the audience to church with the hope of driving out chik-V. Versatility being their middle names, the quartet which has not performed in the second city in a while, displayed incredible talent and hard-to-beat stage appearance.
Topping out the powerful deliveries last Friday night was Keith Sweat, who made his intention known early by bringing a cozy sofa, bar stools and several bottles of premium liquor on stage, declaring he had Just Got Paid, and "somebody is gonna get pregnant tonight".
Sweat, sweated profusely, before closing a tight set that saw him being included in the best of the best!
The organisers of Soul in the Sun did no wrong. From as early as two months ago, some of the most discerning lovers of music were lauding the obviously well thought out line up. An A-List that included the likes of Jeffrey Osbourne, Freddie Jackson, Regina Belle, Peabo Bryson and Howard Hewitt. The festival ended with a beach party at the Seawind Beach Club yesterday.