Mel Cooke, STAR Writer

One Third - file

If the votes had swung the other way last Friday night, back-to-back Digicel Rising Stars winners would have been performing at Hedonism 3 on Friday, October 17, to Sunday, October 19.

As it is, Nick from the popular resort announced last Thursday evening that 2007 winners One Third and 2008 runners-up Kahlil will perform at the 'All-Inclusive Weekend and Jerk Festival', part of the Merritone Family Reunion and Homecoming 2008.

The weekend getaway is the penultimate event on the official slate of activities outlined at the official launch, held at Waterfalls, Liguanea, St Andrew. Last is the 'Las Lik' on Monday, October 20, at The Deck, in New Kingston. And the reunion events begin with a 'Meet and Greet' at the Quad, New Kingston, on Wednesday, October 15, followed by 'Turntable Thursdays' at Waterfalls the following night.

Youthful outlook

A set of pre-reunion events began with a symposium and party at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, on Saturday, and continues this weekend with the 'Touch of Class' JDF/Merritone fête at Curphey Place, in St Andrew, on Friday.

Merritone returns to its St. Thomas roots at VIP, Prospect, on Saturday, October 11, followed by a Family Fun Day at Boone Hall Oasis, Stony Hill, St Andrew, the following day.

Kahlil - File

The inclusion of One Third and Kahlil in the celebrations for a sound system that is now 58 years old goes back to the youthful outlook of Merritone and Dr Winston Davidson, one of two guest speakers at the launch, remembered the very early days of Merritone.

He pointed out that in 1950 when Merritone started "the life expectancy was about 46. Well, Merritone has exceeded the life expectancy by a number of years".

Davidson went back into memories of Kingston College (KC) when, as 11-year-old boys, they were schooled in Merritone by the Blake brothers.

"If you look at the crowd you will see persons who were there at the beginning," he said. And he noted the sense of camaraderie and the family spirit around Merritone. "Some of us were even joined together in holy union because of Merritone," he said.

Happier times

He pointed out that "Merritone is, therefore, a brand which is representative of not only Morant Bay, St Thomas, KC, and UWI, but is indeed a Caribbean brand".

Merritone was the first sound system to play in Cuba. "It is representative of all the Black Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere," Davidson said.

TVJ's Kay Osbourne, the night's other guest speaker, said that "Merritone for me is about feelings". She said that when she lived outside Jamaica, especially in Chicago where the winters are brutal, one of the key ways to make it through was to project into a future of happier times. And one of those projections was going back home to 'Merri' sessions.

She pointed out that Jamaica's recent Olympic performances have given us all a great deal of self-confidence. "Merritone has been doing that with us for decades," she said.

"Thank you so much for enriching our lives," she said.