UWI fete delights

KRISTI-MARIE MADRAY

Superb entertainment filled the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine grounds on Sunday for the premium all-inclusive fete which attracted hundreds of fashionably-dressed partygoers.

The fete was dedicated to the late former president George Maxwell Richards who was also a former UWI principal. Richards who died on January 8 of a heart attack was one of the founders of the fete

Host Jason “JW” Williams opened the celebration and asked for a minute of silence in Richards’ memory. “We continue the legacy which he started,” Williams said. Throughout the evening several artistes also paid tribute to Richards on stage.

Staying true to the theme, the Secret Garden, women and men were decked off in floral printed outfits. The most popular clothing option was long skirts with crop tops and rompers, while the men accessorised with hats and sunglasses.

Patrons were thoroughly entertained by the powerhouse lineup of artistes such as Iwer George, Kes the Band, Machel Montano, Ultimate Rejects, Dil-E-Nadan, Voice, Alison Hinds, Olatunji and Rhapsody.

Dil-E-Nadan opened the live entertainment and delivered a mix of old calypsoes and chutney and had the crowd rocking for an hour.

Iwer hyped the crowd as he entered on stage singing his 2018 hit Savannah. Patrons began to scream the lyrics while jumping vigorously up and down. They continued singing and dancing as he performed Take A Bathe, No Pain, and Come to Meh. Much to patrons’ delight, Iwer leapt into the crowd, and ended his performance as he had began with his hit Savannah.

Before Iwer’s entry, the Ultimate Rejects opened their session by asking the crowd to clap in honour of Richards for a minute. After, they unleashed their 2017 record Road March hit, Full Extreme, followed Brimstone, and had patrons jumping.

Olatunji and Rhapsody continued to thrill patrons with their stage antics and his 2018 song, Bodyline. He was later was joined on stage by comedian and radio announcer Rodell “Ro’dey” Cumberbatch who performed Splinters by Shal Marshall with Olatunji and Rhapsody. The crowd went wild. The hyped performance continued with Afro Soca, Indian Gal and other popular hits.

Olatunji also paid tribute to Richards and said how much he misses Richards. He asked the crowd to give three cheers in Richards’ name.

Patrons invested $1150 for a ticket for the fund-raising events which delivered on food and a variety of drinks. Amidst the entertainment, patrons feasted on cocktails and premium drinks and food including bake and shark, curry, roast pork and sushi.

The non-stop entertainment also featured soca queen Alison Hinds, dressed for the occasion in a floral romper. She opened with Grind It. While she performed DJ Ride, a backup dancer, came on stage to wine with her. The crowd cheered and after going down low, she had the women singing and dancing with Faluma and Roll It Gal.

Enjoying another fantastic season, Kes The Band, took the jamming to another level with the first Hello from lead singer Kees Dieffenthaller. The crowd jammed throughout the performance as he sang hits such as Fete Land, Like it Like That, Falling Down, Town Ting, Look Fuh Dat, Million, Workout, I Shall Return and Where Yuh From.

He too, urged the crowd to show a peace sign and, “Make some noise for Max. He taught us we need to lime with everybody.”

The Soca Monarch, Voice, who is also enjoying a great season, had the crowd swaying to Year for Love, Far From Finished and Cheers to Life and was joined by Marge Blackman on stage for their popular hit Full of Vibe.

Machel Montano ended the festivities with a bang. He commandeered the audience with Showtime, Doh Play That, Take It Slow, Rough Wine and Fast Wine and other popular hits. Patrons asked for a Road March tune, and while the song was not yet complete, Montano opted to sing a chorus from his newest and yet-to-be-released Soca Kingdom. He ended with Mami Lo Tiene, Haunted Feeling, Pop A Bottle, Epic and Waiting on the Stage.