Carifesta is here and the Christian community will not be left out of the celebrations as there is a big gospel concert on the calendar of activities dubbed the ‘Carifesta Gospel Celebration’.
The concert is set for August 28th and it is expected that there will be a grand exhibition and concert at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence. The event is one of the religious-themed nights which are a special feature of this year’s Carifesta.
The ‘Carifesta Gospel Celebration’ will begin at 3pm with a grand exhibition which will include displays of fashion, literature, music and photography. But the highlight of the celebrations promises to be the gospel concert which will feature several local and regional stars. The overseas artistes who are coming especially to perform at the concert are Bahamian gospel super star Mr. Lynx, popular Jamaican artiste Prodigal Son, rising St. Lucian star Emrand Henry and the ever green Trinidadian singer Nicole Ballo-Singh.
Although the overseas singers promise to be big crowd pullers, the local performers will not be outdone.
Not only do they promise variety in their acts, but several of them promise high quality performances.
Recently, The Scene spoke with some of these artistes and they shared their views on Carifesta and told us what we can expect from them at the concert.
Kester D is easily one of the most recognisable faces in the local gospel arena. Apart from being a gospel singer for the last fifteen years, he is also a well-known television and radio personality. He is pleased that the organisers of Carifesta have included the various religious groups as part of the activities so that “a balance is maintained”. In his opinion religion plays such an important part in the Caribbean’s culture, that it cannot be ignored.
The singer is also scheduled to release his fifth album on the night of the concert, which he says is a special birthday present to himself and to his fans. He is especially delighted to be part of the gospel concert and says that those who turn out should expect a different kind of performance from him.
In recent times Rondell Yassin, who goes by the stage name of “Solid Youth”, has firmly established himself as one of the leading local superstars in the gospel arena. The Bartica born and bred singer has gained popularity particularly for his hit songs “Abstinence” and “Dress Modestly”.
Rondell believes that “Carifesta is something really good for Guyana” and feels that it is an excellent opportunity for Guyanese to showcase their talent. He is also impressed with the idea behind the religious nights, since he feels these events allow artistes of all genres to showcase their skills.
He says that his fans can look forward to his usual high energy performance as well as new songs and musical arrangements.
According to the singer, he is currently working on his third album, and some of his new songs will be a feature of his 10-minute performance at the super concert.
Gospel superstar Eddie Neblett is one of the stars expected to be on show at the concert. Singer of the popular song “Love and Unity”, Eddie says that he is excited to perform at an event such as Carifesta and sees it as a great opportunity. He says that “you never know who is out there listening to you and what opportunities may come your way.”
He believes that it is a good decision to have these religious events since it provides an avenue for people to learn more about God. He says “as a Christian I can spread the message of Jesus.”
Eddie’s involvement in Carifesta goes beyond this gospel concert. In fact, he would have been part of a singing group which performed at the opening ceremony “Celegacy” held last night.
Another singer who is excited about performing on August 28 is Miriam Corlette-Williams. The singer of songs such as “Stop the Hate” and “Young Men” has been a regular feature at local gospel concerts for several years. She has been working very hard preparing for this concert and those in attendance can expect a very special performance from her.
Cheryl Maloney is certainly one of the leading gospel artistes and will be on show at the gospel event. A very talented singer, she promises to do her best which is to sing and encourage those in the audience. She has so far released two albums. Her song “Don’t Give Up” continues to be very popular in the local gospel arena.
The evening promises to be a night of wholesome fun and the organisers have called it a family affair. And although the event is free, tickets are still required to enter the ground. Tickets are limited and are available at different churches across the country. (alastair23@yahoo.com)
