Western Bureau:

It was a case of enjoyable and frolic overshadowing formality final Wednesday evening because the organisers of Reggae Sumfest formally launched the thirtieth anniversary of the favored annual music competition, which will probably be staged in Montego Bay from July 16-22, primarily on the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre.

While the speeches performed second fiddle to the blending and mingling, businessman Robert Russell, who was one of many pioneers of the competition when it got here to the fore in 1993, proudly declared that the competition has now realised its primary goal, which was to carry high-quality leisure to Montego Bay in the course of the summer time.

“We are here celebrating 30 years of success for reggae music and Jamaica, and we are satisfied that we have kept our promise to give Jamaica and music lovers a world-class experience every year,” mentioned Russell, who remained on board with the competition when the possession of the competition modified fingers from Summerfest Promotions to Joe Bogdanovich’s Downsound Entertainment.

Following Russell’s presentation, a big cake was unveiled onstage, in conventional birthday type, to mark the competition’s thirtieth birthday. Members of the competition’s organising forged, sponsors, and long-serving service suppliers had been invited onstage for the slicing of the cake.

While neither Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett nor Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange was current, a shifting message, highlighting the significance of the competition, was learn on behalf of Grange by Montego Bay’s Mayor Leeroy Williams.

“The organisers have consistently demonstrated their continued commitment to staging this annual event in the heart of Montego Bay while keeping the local community front and centre in its planning,” said Grange, “This is a distinction Sumfest carries with pride because the businesses that converge and thrive around this festival in Jamaica’s second city, Montego Bay, are astounding.”

In his presentation, Williams declared that, throughout July, throughout which festival-related actions will probably be staged, Montego Bay will probably be formally declared, ‘Reggae Sumfest City’.

For the sponsors, organisers and members of the Montego Bay enterprise neighborhood, the occasion introduced a chance to rub shoulders, and chit-chat with a few of the elites of Jamaica’s music fraternity, amongst different gamers within the trade. Among the leisure personalities who had been noticed and had been in nice demand for pictures had been the likes of musical couple Wayne Marshall and his spouse Tami Chin Mitchell; songbird Tanya Stephens; Harry Toddler, previously of the Scare Dem Crew; Black Ryno; Tommy Lee Sparta; artiste supervisor and promoter Heavy D; and producer Notnice.

The sponsors had been out in all their glory headed by the Downsound staff of Bogdanovich, Cordell ‘Skatta’ Burrell, Maxine McDonnough, and representatives of the principle sponsor Caribbean Airlines.

The two primary nights of the competition, which will probably be staged on the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre will function the likes of Tommy Lee Sparta, Valiant, Massika, Chronic Law, Gyptian, Jah Vinci, Marion ‘Lady Saw’ Hall, Romain Virgo, Tanya Stephens, Richie Spice, Kabaka Pyramid, D’Yani, Morgan Heritage, amongst different high acts who will carry out as a part of particular theme segments.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com