Wayne Armond, Boris Gardiner and Ken Boothe enjoy Timeless stage
Veterans say ‘cherish your performances on local ground’
Published:Thursday | February 16, 2023 | 12:32 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
It was an extremely special night for Wayne Armond, Boris Gardiner and Ken Boothe when the veteran singers and musicians headlined the concert dubbed Timeless hosted by Plantation Cove in St Ann. The first of a series of small live shows, presented by Coveside Concerts, treated approximately 1,000 ska, rocksteady and reggae lovers in an intimate, boutique setting with the entertainers last Saturday.
According to Wayne Armond, co-founder and guitarist of Chalice, the experience far-exceeded that of touring, which the band has not been doing much of late.
“I’m happy we were able to create an atmosphere of love and even nostalgia, for some of persons ... they truly enjoyed the performances. Chalice has kind of put away the long touring thing and have not really accepted the tour shows because [we] are all at that age; as the years go by, people’s health is not what it used to be,” Armond told The Gleaner.
“We’re fortunate to have a group that has four of the original members remaining and we thank God we can still perform,” he continued.
Chalice, formed 43 years ago in St Mary, burst on the scene with their 1982 debut album Blasted, which spawned the enduring hits, I Still Love You and Good to Be There and spent many years touring the world. Armond shared that the number of shows have been minimised to about four per year with an occasional song release. The last time Chalice performed in Jamaica was in 2019 for Rebel Salute, he said.
“A lot of the times us musicians, or entertainers in general, leave just ‘cause of opportunities, not because we were fleeing Jamaica for any reason. It is definitely important to cherish performances on local ground where it all began. The island and the people are always in my heart and thoughts, I tend to miss it a lot so it’s always beautiful to come back to my homeland to play for the public. I definitely experienced the thrill being back home,” Armond shared.
“The most recent single we did was in 2020, titled It’s Alright, and this was during the COVID-19 pandemic. As far as I’m concerned it is still new and fresh material and it is doing well. The production is one of those evergreen ones, with a message that will last through the generations.”
Speaking with The Gleaner, Vonni Koromanti, creative director for Coveside Concerts, shared an interest in hosting more veterans singers and musicians who have not had the opportunity to perform for the public, noting that despite Chalice’s absence from the local stage and them doing less shows, “their entry was seamless”. She praised all the headliners as well as Desmond ‘Desi’ Jones, the concert’s musical director and the Skool Band for their level of professionalism in engaging the audience. Jazz singer Keisha Patterson opened the stage for the artistes, performing Nancy Wilson’s How Glad I Am and paying tribute to Cynthia Schloss with her rendition of Love Me Forever, among other hits.
“The overall production was very organised; patrons were actually greeted and ushered to their preferred seating which included a mix of picnic benches and tables under trees or closer down by the cove, or immediate row seating closer to the stage. Tommy Cowan, our master of ceremonies, was efficient and engaging throughout the event,” Koromanti asserted.
Boris Gardiner said that for the level of organisation and the musical offering, he expected a larger audience. He performed after Chalice, providing the audience with a one-hour set singing songs like Let’s Keep It That Way, So Nice To Be With You, I Wanna Wake Up With You and playing the basslines of compositions for other musical greats like Elton Ellis’ Why Did You Leave and Max Romeo’s War Inna Babylon.
“I can say who was there really had a good time and loved the show they were given, but it definitely could have had a bigger turnout. Still, I appreciated my time on stage. It has been quite a while since I did a show that long and being able to sing my favourite hits,” he said.
He said that in recent times, most of the performances have been for private events. Gardiner said there are many persons who believe he resides overseas, but said that there is nowhere else he would rather be.
Gardiner, who celebrated his 80th birthday and 18th wedding anniversary with his wife Andrea in January, pointed out that a lot of entertainers leave and it is common for many to go in search for better in the US, but, “when you live overseas, you risk losing your musical roots”.
“Everything is so fast-paced, the music changes and when you hear it the next few years, it sounds different. I urge all singers and musicians to always come home even if they live overseas, because when you’re here, you feel and live the real story of the music. My mother lived there [America] and wanted me to come there, but to this day I don’t feel to live overseas,” he said.
“I continue to visit and travel; in fact I head to Anguilla with Fab 5 next month and look forward to being part of more shows that Vonni and the Coveside Concerts team have lined up. I must say everybody did a good job, Chalice, Wayne Armond and I must highlight Ken Boothe, his set was superb,” Gardiner continued.