Japex 'One Love Street Festival' successful

NEW KINGSTON'S Knutsford Boulevard was transformed into a cultural feast Sunday night at the Jamaica Product Exchange's (Japex) 'One Love Kingston Street Festival'.

The festival, organised by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association's Kingston Chapter, in conjunction with over 35 sponsors, was hosted to promote Kingston as a tourist destination and business centre.

A stage was set up at the intersection of Barbados Avenue and Knutsford Boulevard for the live show, featuring some of Jamaica's finest performers and thousands lined the streets of New Kingston.

Comperes Jennifer Small and Francois St. Juste, repeatedly commented on how 'well behaved' the crowd was as they sang and swayed to the music.

Both sides of the Knutsford Boulevard were lined with white tents showcasing various products from sponsors, which persons perused as they moved up and down the thoroughfare. Among the products on show were Carnival costumes, craft items and food. Some of the track and field athletes to the Olympics were there to sign autographs and meet their fans.

The Kingston Comprehensive High School drummers got the entertainment programme off to a good start outside the Jamrock Sports Bar and Grill and worked itself up the road to the main stage.

On the stage was The Alphasonics, which delighted with a good set. But when the scintillating Marcia Griffiths, who has been touring with the Wailers, hit the stage the applause was resounding. The Wailers, which rarely performs locally, impressed the crowd and vocalist, Gary Pile, was right on the mark with the delivery of a string of Bob Marley hits like

Lively Up Yourself, Buffalo Soldier and Exodus. Many were heard to say how he sounded like Bob.

The ever resourceful Fab 5 lived up to expectations. Between band changes, sound systems Merritone, Renaissance, Irie FM's Heather Cummings and FAME FM's Marlon Young, alternated at the turntables to spin hits from the ska to dancehall eras.

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