Praise Festival rocks square

GARY CARDINEZ

AFTER an eight-year hiatus from performing on a stage in her homeland, Avion Blackman, daughter of Ras Shorty I, rocked Adam Smith Square in Woodbrook to its core in a Praise Festival concert which flew under the cultural radar.

Blackman came home with her husband Mark Mohr, leader of the pioneering gospel reggae chart-topping group Christafari. The Friday evening was not just about listening to music as these “musicianaries” preached the word of God.

Blackman performed with her brother Isaac and sister Nehilet as they revealed Christafari’s latest official video for the song Medicine for the World. While the siblings sang the video showed scenes from Piparo, Chaguanas and India. It is quite obvious that Mohr is about imagery in bold colours.

Medicine for the World was written by Mohr who sings the chorus after each Blackman finishes a verse and this songs seem destined for the charts.

Praise Festival began with Jahzy followed by Nehilet and the all-female Lights the Band. Michelle Sylvester, TT’s very first Groovy Soca Monarch, performed with the band.

She confessed to her audience that she gave up that kind of music nine years ago when she became wrapped up in Jesus Christ.

Since then she has been on the gospel circuit and has recorded several songs including Hold Meh and We Say with Nehilet. Sylvester still has all her moves and kept her audience captive throughout her performance.

The main act Christafari was up next and for two hours had everyone in Adam Smith Square dancing, singing and clapping. Mohr opened the set and performed several of the group’s hit songs. The video and lyrics of each song were seen on a massive screen behind the singers so anyone could sing along. Mohr then introduced his wife Avion Blackman who was playing bass guitar throughout his performance. Avion carries one of the smoothest voices which blends well with both reggae music as well as her husband’s voice. The seven man/woman group has so many hit songs that it was near impossible for them to sing all.

Mohr introduced Isaac Blackman who performed a couple of his songs including To The Ceiling before Nehilet came on stage to join both he and Avion. Together the trio performed Medicine for the World to the amusement of the audience. Each sibling doing a verse before Mohr came in with the chorus while the video ran in the background.

The next act on stage took the audience into a totally different mood, Blessed Messenger had the audience giving thanks and praises with his performance of Doh Tell me Dat, Thanks in Advance and the ever popular Famalay.

Gospel sensation Jaron Nurse brought the curtain down with his current hit Fed Up and his fans all wearing their Jesus Youth T-shirts were dancing and singing. After his performance there was a long line to get to Nurse as he signed autographs for his fans.