Japanese spectators at the International Reggae Day Concert at the C&W Golf Acadamy on Saturday night, July 1. - COLIN HAMILTON
LAST SATURDAY'S INTER-NATIONAL Reggae Day Concert at the Cable and Wireless Golf Academy in New Kingston may have been a spectacular failure in terms of crowd support, but for me it was a revelation for the venue itself.
Of course, I had been to functions at the academy before, notably guitarist Dwight Pinkney's 60/40 celebration last year, and the recent 'Evening With Percy Sledge' concert. Both times the stage was positioned so that a small (though it did not look small at the time) part of the grounds were used, but on Saturday night the entire space was utilised.
And it was very good.
The stage was set up on the far side across from the entrance, the sides lined with booths for food, fashion and art and craft, among other things. With the ground sloping gently towards the stage and a few gentle mounds already a part of the landscape, there were many comfortable vantage points from which to see (the large screens did not hurt either). And even if a huge crowd had been there (the turnout was very low) there would have been space to be comfortable and still enjoy what was happening.
The Cinnamon Hill golf course in Montego Bay, where the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is held annually, is a superb location and there is no real comparison to be made. But the golf academy, located as it is in the heart of New Kingston, and how it was utilised on Saturday night, was a revelation for me.
It is especially important now that the days of Mas Camp partying are over and the shortage of concert space in Kingston gets acute. I do wonder, though, if 'certain types' of shows will be allowed to be staged there.
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