Memorable performances at six-hour long Genesis
BY MARK CUMMINGS
Observer staff reporter
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Hundreds of patrons flocked Friday’s staging of the Genesis concert held at the Montego Bay Community College, which delivered memorable acts for the most part, during the six-hour long gospel feast.
“This was certainly one of our better years in terms of the
production. The sound quality was good and there were awesome performances from the artistes,” said Barrington Sergeant, the production co-ordinator with the Montego Bay Genesis Committee, which organised the event on behalf of the Jamaica Youth for Christ.
The show — now in its 21st year — got of to a slow start shortly after 12 midnight Thursday with gospel singer Luceta Leslie but with less than an hour gone in the event Marvin Fishley, the 2007 Tastee Talent Show winner had almost everyone in the Lorna Nembhard auditorium on their feet.
Fishley, a police constable assigned to Harman Barracks, is well known for his high-energy showmanship and amazing voice and he delivered a splendid set. Hear My Cry, Four Days Late, Holy, God Is Standing By and Hear My Cry O Lord resonated well with the crowd who begged for more. His departure from the stage paved the way for veteran St Catherine based- gospel singer Clive Provost, better known as Jabez.
A few seconds into his act, the audience was again on their feet, dancing, clapping and singing along with him to songs like Sey Mi Blessed, Just Wanna Praise You, You Raise Me Up and Drinking from my saucer. During his half hour- long set Jabez took time out to pray for peace in the parish of St James which had a record 240 murders last year.
Like Jabez and Fishley, Kerron Ennis too did not disappoint the predominantly youthful patrons. She started her set with Thank You Lord then eased into Rise Up, Jesus Is Mi God Oh, then Holy You Are Worth before doing a beautiful rendition of God Is By Our Side. By then almost everyone was again on their feet, dancing and clapping and waving rags.
When Ennis left the stage there were shouts of “we want more; we want more”. She was then called back on stage by MC Pastor Ivan Hall and did a stirring rendition of Holy Ghost Church which literally brought the house down.
There were also good performances from the 30- member Montego Bay-based groups Adoration and Purity, an Mark, DJ Troy and praise and worship artiste Kevin Dounswell who closed the show at 6:15 am.