Get ready for Yes!

Published: Wednesday | September 2, 2009



Father Richard Ho Lung (right) and Gilroy Graham, general manager for Grace Foods and Services at GraceKennedy Limited, found pleasure in the drums while at the launch of Father Ho Lung's Missionaries of the Poor Production Jam Reggae Opera Yes! at the Knutsford Court Hotel yesterday. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Freelance Photographer

Father Richard HoLung and Friends return for another season with Jam Reggae Opera Yes! for five shows running from October 2-4 at the National Arena. The production was launched yesterday at the Knutsford Court Hotel with the help of corporate Jamaica on hand.

With opening speeches made by Rev Father Brian Kerr, who exalted the work being done by Father Ho Lung, it was soon into a quick prayer before statements were made by the show's various sponsors.

The Government is wavering the rental cost of the National Arena for Jam Reggae Opera Yes!, which the production team said it was grateful for.

Two opposite genres

Father Ho Lung soon took to the stage explaining the vision of his dream of combining the two opposite genres of opera and reggae and his long history of writing music. He said, "this will be a masterpiece done by God, according to his will. Jamaican and Opera don't seem to go together, reggae and opera don't seem to go together, and my life as a priest in service of the poor doesn't seem to go together with the theatre world or the formal European world."

Previous prductions by Father HoLung and Friends include Jesus 2000, Moses and YES!

Father Ho Lung said the funds from Jam Reggae Opera Yes! would go towards building a home for 200 mothers and their babies.

After a video presentation, the cast of Jam Reggae Opera Yes! gave a short but spicy performance that had persons looking forward to this year's show.

- Krista Henry