It started with a scattered crowd on the National Park tarmac some time after 7 pm and wrapped up with the numbers it needed to record it as a success in terms of attendance; the local concert for Haiti on Friday night was simply good.
Under the banner, ‘Unite for Haiti’, performers came out, some out of retirement like Rupert Singh, to give to the people of the earthquake devastated country. Lighted candles and solidarity bands on the arms of a few captured the mood of locals eager to show support for those hurting in Haiti.
Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand appeared late in the night to say “Thank you for coming out” and referred to the tremendous response by Guyanese who felt compelled to assist. She reminded that though Guyana has little the country has been responding in a huge way. “It means a lot seeing all these faces as I look out into the crowd,” she said.
Manickchand stressed that the funds raised from the concert including proceeds from the bar would go to the Guyana Haiti Relief Committee, which she chairs. Her reassurance was needed as some people had aired concerns about whether this would be the case.
The artistes, all working for free, performed as if they were being paid. The cause though was certainly enough to persuade them to step things up.
The likes of Miriam Williams, Jessica Xavier and Teneisha DeFreitas used their strong vocals to bring messages of hope. DeFreitas powered her way through the song, “I Am Not Afraid”, an inspiring number by Jamaican songstress, Etana. Other strong performances came from singer Dallas Forte and Avalanche.
Former reporter and one-time beauty pageant contestant Jackie Handover triggered calls for “encore! encore!” after she belted out the song, “Stand Up For Love”.
Jory who has been creating a buzz within recent months delivered a sombre performance with his song which called on the people of Haiti to “keep the faith”. Jory sang about their pains and urged them to continue believing that things will get better.
Hits and Jams promotions collaborated with Visions to host the ‘Unite for Haiti’ Concert with sponsorship from a few local organizations. This newspaper was unable to get initial feedback as to the funds raised.
