Tessanne Chin performing at the Blue Beat by the Sea Unplugged series last Thursday night in Montego Bay. - photo by Hope Evans

WESTERN BUREAU:

The sultry riffs of reggae star Tessanne Chin still remain a heavenly chorus to the untamed sea. The newly-constructed courtyard of Marguerite's Blue Beat hosted the singer amid wild waves and chilling winds last Thursday.

When Chin stepped onstage, Mother Nature did not spare one ounce of benevolence, as guests were struck by strong gusts of wind and splashes of water from the brutal waves crashing below and secretly finding their way up to the crowd seated on the verandah's cliff.

An enjoyable evening

While Chin's voice echoed from one end of Gloucester Avenue to the other, the sold-out performance had all the makings of an enjoyable evening, with dim lighting, soft blue and red hues, cozy couches and waiters and waitresses on hand to serve up an array of Blue Beat drinks and tapas.

Despite the allure of the seemingly romantic evening, there was a bittersweet moment when Chin recalled her old Mile High bandmates and spoke of the song she wrote when the band broke up. Chin also covered an acoustic rendition of Broken Melody. Before singing her hit song Messenger, she gave the crowd some Chin philosophy.

"All of us are messengers," she said. "We all have a message to share. It's just about whether or not we have the courage to share it."

Encore

At the end of the night, Chin was given flowers by Unplugged hosts, as her ex-trumpeter mother looked on with pride. She thanked the crowd and exited the stage while guests yelled "encore!" hoping for more from the Kingston-born singer who claims a reggae-rock fusion style of music. Chin returned and sang her celebrated song Hideaway while the crowd sang along in unison.

Even after the wind had blown out every candle in the courtyard and the raging waves had forced everyone inside, the celebration continued with a never-ending flow of house-concocted martinis, jerked chicken risotto balls, garlic and lime shrimp, Red Stripe and an eclectic song list that had people two-stepping to the tunes of Destiny's Child, Katie Perry and Michael Jackson. Chin, who was the first of six performers in Blue Beat's Unplugged Series, hung around, willing to take pictures and socialise with all in attendance.

Future performances will include Ernie Smith, Etana, Della Manley, Rootz Underground and Tarrus Riley.