Prime Minister Bruce Golding is looking absolutely fabulous in a trendy blue striped shirt with green embroidered front. His wife Lorna was elegant in black.- photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
What a night! What a show! Mr Boombastic, the fantastic Shaggy, with star-appeal, his incredible charm and charisma as one of the world's leading crossover acts, transformed the grounds of Jamaica House on Saturday, January 3, into the social and entertainment epicentre of the universe. The night will long be remembered for its fabulous entertainment, professionalism and the charity of those who attended.
We are talking an absolutely fab and sensational do that saw the widest cross section of the social classes attending, some who gladly forked out $20,000 per ticket in support of a most worthy cause. They were all united around the common cause of supporting the effort of the internationally renowned singer, to upgrade the services and facilities of the Bustamante Hospital for Children. The staging of the Shaggy and Friends benefit concert for the hospital was not only boombastic, it was also fantastic and definitely above and beyond the ordinary.
It was a bittersweet year-ending for some, as with national and international conditions causing some to rethink and/or revalue their priorities. There was a residual desire not just to party a little, but in doing so, to give something back to the wider community. In this respect, Shaggy and Friends proved the perfect vehicle for many to do just that.
The battery of Scotiabank staff who volunteered their time to act as ushers to the hundreds of guests who turned out for the event, and were not only assisted with their parking, but escorted from the parking area to the actual entrance to the venue. From there another complement of Scotiabank staff took over the role of escorts/ushers guiding attendees to their designated concert area, it was clear from the very get-go that we are talking a fabulously civilised outing here.
And for guests in the Platinum section of the performance area, that notion was made that more pronounced by service that was pretty nigh to white-gloved, with all the accoutrement of haute eleganza, from the serving of cocktails, through to the presentation of dinner, with the assigned waiting staff displaying more than just a passing knowledge of the wines on offer, vintage, etc; the general service, overall, reeked of fabulous good taste and nothing but! And then there was the auction.
Media personality Simon Crosskill was masterfully irreverent in his task as auctioneer; his guests, for the most part, equally irreverent in their determination to make good on what were truly some fabulous items being auctioned. From the over $300,000 bid by New York-based impresario and media personality David 'Squeeze' Annakie, for the right to run a few laps with the sensational Usain Bolt; to the $300,000 bid for the right to own a piece by artist Graham Davis; or the $75,000 bid for two tickets to see Celine Dion in concert in Miami; the rights to dinner and cooking lessons with Chef Sara Mair; wine classes and/or designer handbag, guests simply dug deep, confident at the same time that their indulgence was a donation to the hospital.
And then the concert itself!
We are not talking one of those things where guests sit around and applaud politely to show approval! We are talking a party vibe, where approval of an artist's stint on stage was his/her ability to get the audience out of their seats and jamming, and did this crowd jam! They jammed like no other, and to all the different genres of music as represented by the different performers - as represented by Allison Hinds' hot soca rhythms; the high-octane energy of Elephant Man; the soulful reggae flavoured/inspired sounds of Tessanne Chin, the pure, raw talent and message of Etana, the militancy of Buju Banton, to the serenity of Marcia Griffiths; and/or the soulful-raspy urban sounds of Macy Gray, to the crossover appeal of the host Shaggy, it was awesome and nothing but! It was simply one of the best concerts ever staged here.
Kudos to Shaggy and his team and the title sponsors for making such a herculean effort appear so easy and to those who supported and really made it happen.
Among those out were: Governor General Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall; Prime Minister Bruce and wife Lorna; Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller; Health Minister Ruddy Spencer; Minister of Information Youth, Culture and Sport Babsy Grange; Education Minister Andrew Holness and wife Juliette; James and Charlene Robertson; Opposition Senator Sandrea Falconer; Junior Minister Daryl and Ann Marie Vaz; Opposition MP Dr Wykeham McNeill and wife Sheila Benjamin McNeill; his colleague Lisa Hanna; chairman of the Bustamante Hospital Kenny Benjamin and companion Aloima Suarez; brothers Kip and Rocky Charles; title sponsors Scotiabank CEO Bruce Bowen, his fab wife Suzann and their daughters Kari and Krystian.
Also out were: former head of the European Union Ambassador Gerd Jarchow and wife Mara; his son Oliver Jarchow and wife Flo, in from Paris for the occasion; Ray Miles Sr; Richard and Diana Stewart; Peter Fraser; Cindy Breakspeare Bent; Steve and Karishma Khemlani; Richard Russell and companion, the gorgeous Sophia MaxBrown; Jennifer Lim, her daughter Anna and her husband Emil Ryan; Laurie and Ruth Hussey, their daughter, the lovely Angelie with husband Anthony Harris and their daughter Christelle Harris; Percy and Eleanor Hussey; Ron Brown and wife Valarie Juggan-Brown; Leslie Chang and daughter Zoe, his brother Jamie Chang and sister Melanie Chang.
We spotted: Bruce and Nicola Bicknell; the lovely Minna Israel, head of RBTT; the lovely Monique van Spankerin; Sonja Sutherland Dumetz; Tanny Shirley; Nadine Sutherland; Allie McNab; Marjorie Burough; Christopher Nakash and wife Zein Issa Nakash; Willam and Franny Mahfood; Andrew and Caroline Mahfood; Mark and Genny Berry; Mark and Karen Myers; Nicky and Sharon Feanny; Xander and Mandy Melville; Gary Gregg and lovely Jodie Summerbell; Ray Miles Jr and his fab wife, the lovely Eva Miles; Anthony and Nora-May Desnoes; Roger Malik and Amber Vicens Stewart; Andrea Bickhoff-Benjamin; Michael Zureik and sibling, the fab Carmela Azan; Eddie Barbara and wife Nicola DeMercado; Tony Cortez and wife Julie Seaga; Bill Edwards and companion Janet Farrow; Chris and Alicia Dehring; Gregory and Michelle Mayne; Tanya HoShue; Don Creary, his sibling Michael Creary and companion Marcia McDonough; Brian Sang; Garth and Kimiesha Walker; Nadine Sutherland; Sharon Burke; former German embassy official here (now based in Panama) Mike Delitz and his wife Karin Ederer Delitz; Nurma James; the fab Tabitha Athey; Nadine Willis; George Bailey and his sons Olympian Donovan Bailey; the ultra-hot star of the Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt, and his special girl, Mizicann Evans; and a fabulous looking Janet Sinclair, in from Montego Bay.
Dennis Morrison, QC, and wife Janet are in a relaxed mood. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Sheila Benjamin McNeill and her brother Kenny Benjamin are certainly not sibling rivals, it's all love. - Photo by Janet Silvera
The Azan clan (seated from left), Joshua, Lezanne, Jonathan, Omar (standing right), and Kurt Tomlinson came out to party.
Fifty and fabulous Nurma James toasts the night at the concert. - Photo by Janet Silvera