Adrian Frater, News Editor

Jamaica Gospel Festival contestant Damion Bell in full cry during Saturday night's All-Island Street Blocker concert. - Photos by Adrian Frater

Western Bureau:

It was enriching gospel music at its best in Falmouth, Trelawny, on Saturday night as the Grace Tropical Rhythms Jamaica Gospel 2K8 All Island Street Blocker began it four-concert series in a blaze of glory, much to the delight of the thousands who jam-packed Water Square.

The dazzling package, which featured the 10 finalists in the Jamaica Gospel Festival Contest alongside established gospel singer Joseph Scott and red-hot gospel deejay Prodigal Son, offered up a refreshing blend of traditional and new-age gospel music with a variety of flavour, including reggae.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission-staged event, which started shortly after 7 p.m. with a sizzling early set by the Andrecia Robertson-led Wakefield Lord's Chapel, kept increasing in tempo until the lyrically astute Prodigal Son brought the curtains down as midnight approached.

The gospel song finalists, who appears in two different segments, first singing a song of their choice and then their festival entry, all delivered excellent, well-received sets, which drew waves and waves of "alleluia" and "thank you Jesus" from the appreciative audience.

Exceptional

Damion Bell, who first did an excellent cover of Papa San's, Smile Again, and then stood tall with his festival entry, Let Us Pray; Girvon Amore, who did Omari's, Help, Father God, Help, and Jamaica Needs to Change; and female singer Kareen Gregory, who did Shirley Willis' The Lord Will Make a Way and God Is, were exceptional.

Joseph Scott, who has been creating waves internationally with his string of gospel hits, which has spawned some six albums, had the audience jumping and screaming with delight as he unleashed a fabulous set, which included Sinner Man, Included, We Can Make the Difference and Thank you Lord.

When it was time for Scott to exit the stage, some members of the audience kept shouting for more but unlike in secular shows, which often see multiple encores, he left the stage and never returned.

When Prodigal Son hit the stage, he was greeted by a sea of white as patrons vigorously wave the white rags that were earlier distributed by the organisers. Realising he had the audience at his mercy, he went into overdrive, reeling of gospel-laced lyrics, which probably would make several secular deejays green with envy.

Several times in his performance, Prodigal Son was forced to surrender to the audience as they basically took over the songs, belting out his lyrics as if it was they who had penned and made them popular.

In between the various performances, master of ceremony Markland Edwards of Nationwide also added to the mix with his charisma and stagecraft. In between regulating the various acts and showering the audience with giveaways courtesy of the organisers, he also proved himself quite a competent singer/singjay.

Kareen Gregory belting out her gospel festival song during Saturday night's All-Island Street Blocker concert in Falmouth, Trelawny.