Wyclef Jean concert a smash hit

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

SATURDAY night’s much-anticipated Unity Fest concert has been hailed as a great success by organisers.

Superstar headliner Wyclef Jean rocked the carnival grounds at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre and was welcomed by an enthusiastic, energetic crowd.

A number of Bahamian and Haitian performers and bands took part in the event, in what one of the organisers, 100Jamz operations manager Anthony Coakley, described as “a concert that really lived up to its name.”

He said: “The event was lively and fun, but peaceful. It was Unity Fest, and all the Bahamians, Haitians, Jamaicans in attendance really came together, on the stage and in the crowd.

“All the performances were top notch. The Haitian bands were phenomenal – some Bahamian bands were in awe. But all the local performances were impeccable, Visage in particular was great.”

Mr Coakley said the concert went off without any major hitches.

The only regret, he said, is that the event started a bit late and the police shut it down at 2am.

There may be a silver lining however: Wyclef said he wants to return to the Bahamas with the acts that didn’t get a chance to hit the stage.

According to Mr Coakley, the Haitian star was very impressed by a number of Bahamian performers and hopes to work with them again in the future.

Local performers included M Deez, Visage, D Mac, the Illest, Rapp Quelle, Julien Believe and Puzzle.

Comments

TalRussell says...

According to some, Bahamland's music is done gone, gone Haitian?

May I be the first Comrade to stick me neck out by coming forward to remind the wanna be prez of Haiti, that our Bahamaland, has many generational citizens, who have no damn ancestry ties to Africa?

Question remains. After 12 months in office, is PM Christie really any different when it comes to his protecting the sovereignty of our tiny Bahamaland, compared to the Hubert red shirts regime? Isn't PM Christie and Hubert, playing the same Haitian music?

You tell me?

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2013…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdT_rVzH…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU65Pd9g…

Posted 21 May 2013, 1:29 p.m. Suggest removal

bahamaswriter says...

The photo above of Lorin Cartwright, Peter Catalyn and my husband Erskine Knowles, of The Invaders, playing in The Lisbon Club, Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas, in 1965 is actually mine. The photo appeared in articles on my blog at the following links:-
http://bahamaswriter.blogspot.com/2012/…
http://bahamaswriter.blogspot.com/2012/…

Posted 21 May 2013, 6:11 p.m. Suggest removal

I enjoyed listening your husband. You should upload a clip to YouTube and share their music with all.

Posted 21 May 2013, 6:17 p.m. Suggest removal

Thanks. I'll let him know. Unfortunately, we don't have any recordings of The Invaders, although they did play together a few years ago at a family reunion. Erskine is on YouTube though at the following links:

“Crazy Johnny’s”, Nassau, Bahamas, 2009
George Harrison’s “While my guitar gently weeps” sung by Erskine Knowles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lb1Ixxs…
Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” sung by Erskine Knowles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_Jwexv…

Posted 21 May 2013, 6:59 p.m. Suggest removal

Wow girl. Thanks for sharing the clips with me and many other Tribune readers.

God Bless.

Posted 21 May 2013, 7:13 p.m. Suggest removal

You're most welcome. Wish we could get some more recordings. Erskine also played with Little Joe in Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport, several times and an American tourist put the American Independence one on youtube but we can't find it any more. I guess he removed it. There's also one of Erskine playing with a band in an English pub while on vacation a couple of years ago, but he says the sound quality isn't that good, so I took it off youtube.

Posted 21 May 2013, 7:24 p.m. Suggest removal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MonV-IjA…

Posted 21 May 2013, 7:33 p.m. Suggest removal