Clyde McKenzie, CEO of Shocking Vibes and Glynis Salmon, publishing executive, do a folk dance at the Powerful Men and Women Perform For Charity concert at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday. - Photos by Colin Hamilton

André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

There is probably no greater power than the ability to put a smile on thousands of faces.

Several of the nation's top executives and professionals did just that and had no problem making themselves the brunt of jokes at the Powerful Men and Women Perform For Charity concert at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday.

For the first time, men and women performed to an almost capacity crowd and there was not a dull moment for the entire evening. It was also the first time that First Lady, Her Excellency Rheima Holding-Hall, and Kingsley 'Ragashanti' Stewart appeared on the charity show.

The Powerful Women stage is familiar to former postmaster general Blossom O'Meally-Nelson and she has never failed to impress the audience with her jibes, mostly aimed at politicians.

This time around she was 'Madda Phinn-ess', a prophetess conducting her balmyard meeting. Among her libations and charms were the 'exuberance powder' for the 'youthful one', former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's description of Minister Phillip Paulwell.

Patterson was front row centre and was not spared the jokes either. She also spoke of a 'tall white policeman' who who came to see her for a potion to determine whether someone had just died or was actually murdered. She said all he needed to do was put down his 'shields'.

Anticipated performance

She's back! This time she is Madda Phinn-ess, the prophetess who has a cure for political and social woes. Former postmaster general, Blossom O'Meally-Nelson, delivers yet another hilarious performance on Sunday.

Another anticipated performance was that of television producer and broadcaster, Carol Francis, who did her usual dance. Over the years she has gone solo, but this year she was accompanied by Dance Xpression. Of course, Francis showed the professional dancers had nothing on her with her signature 'Dutty Wine'.

On the subject of dance, there is no price on seeing Minister of Tourism Aloun Assamba do the Dutty Wine and hoola-hoop until the hoop broke. She was joined in the hoop by Audrey Hinchcliff and Glynis Salmon in quite a compact circle. What better way to exit the stage than with Vegas' Tek Weh Yuself?

The acts made the first half of the show better due to its variety, as opposed to all the singing in the second half.

The first half also also featured the Dis Ja Swirl Contest, a Miss Jamaica spoof. The contestants were far from the conventional beauty queens, but nobody could tell them differently. With names such as Bitter Bush, High Brade, Bleach Queen, it was obvious the judges, played by Howard Hamilton, Sandra Shirley and DiMario McDowell, were going to have a difficult time selecting the winner. As beauty pageant host, Dervan Malcolm was about to announce the winner, the stage went pitch black and no winner announced.

Puisne Judge Roy Anderson made many a trips to stage either doing a solo or impersonating a member of an oldies group. Charmaine Limonius appeared as Diapa Rash (Diana Ross), Clyde McKenzie as Rising Stars Wannabee and also in a folk dance with Glynis Salmon. Verna Parchment seemed like a natural as she gave a rendition of one of Miss Lou's dialect.

Other notables on the show included Angela Patterson, Winston de la Haye, Brenda Cuthbert, Cordel Green and Neville Blythe. The audience was gracious and kind to each participant and cheered every person who came onstage.

Powerful Men and Women Perform for Charity is a yearly concert held to benefit the Mustard Seed Community, a non-governmental charitable organisation that cares for abandoned, handicapped children, abused pregnant teenagers and children living with HIV/AIDS.

Omar Azan and Tourism Minister Aloun Assamba sing 'I Would Like You and My Sweetheart to be Friends'.