One Third gives a sample of what to expect from their performance at the launch of the Port Royal Music Festival. -photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

On its inaugural staging in 2006, the Port Royal Music Festival was affected by the threat of a hurricane, and on Tuesday night Neville Blythe of the UGI Group said: "If it was not for the bad weather we would have had 10 times the number (of people)."

The second time around, the possible tempest of a general election was picked up well over the horizon and the festival shifted to September 7-9, a period in which David McBean, CEO of title sponsors CVM, said: "It will be a good way to come together and play together, after the rigours of that campaign."

Pirates and wenches

Details of the 2007 festival were given at the Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina, Port Royal, where the first of three events for the weekend will be held. Unlike last year's all-white affair, the Friday, September 7, 'Celebrity Party' will be geared towards swashbuckling pirates and bawdy wenches. The main show the following day will be held at the nearby Port Royal Entertainment Centre and features Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Brian McKnight, Leroy Sibbles, Tarrus Riley, Jimmy Riley, Fab Five and One Third. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. The festival returns to the Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina for the closing 'Jazz on the Harbour' on Sunday, September 9, featuring saxophonist Dean Fraser, guitarist and singer Della Manley, pianist Cathy Brown and drummer Desi Jones, starting at 6:00 p.m.

In welcoming the festival to Port Royal once again, Ambassador Marjorie Taylor said: "I would like to welcome you to a beautiful place with a lot of breeze and the food is very good."

Director of Tourism Basil Smith pointed out that "Port Royal, in the wider context, is an entirely valuable asset to Jamaica's history," and said the festival "is an opportunity for us to show off the assets that Port Royal has that have languished for some time".

Christopher Blythe of Paradise Communications pointed to the diversity of the line-up of performers for the main show, saying, "They appeal to different ages and come to the stage with a different aura." And he made it clear that the Port Royal Music Festival is "an event which emphasises style and class."

Ground transportation

Singer Della Manley and Matthew Sale are engrossed in conversation at the launch of the Port Royal Music Festival held on Tuesday.

Richard Lue of Air Jamaica said that the airline will be doing promotions of the festival at its Caribbean and North American gateways. Sandra Davis of Cash Plus and Ian Lyn of Motor Sales and Service, who will be providing ground transportation, had a pair of 2007 Pajeros standing opulent guard at Morgan's Harbour's entrance. After a look at large graphics representing each night of the second CVM TV Port RoyalMusic Festival, One Third gave a sample of what they will offer on the main show to end the evening.

- Melville Cooke