Love and Harmony Cruise offers reminder of showmanship

The 2023 Love and Harmony Cruise has many stories to tell. The atmosphere, entertainment, along with live performances by guest artistes, including ‘the captain’ of the five-day cruise, reggae veteran Beres Hammond, created the high-flying experience at sea from its beginning to the finale, with last Friday night’s Solid Love All-White Concert sending shivers down the spines of both the stars on stage and their audience.

Certainly the breeze from the Atlantic contributed to that, but it was greatly attributed to the sound of ‘Reggae Ambassadors’ Third World Band and Beres Hammond that caused goose pimples for most persons. From the eclectic vocal ranges to the dynamic chemistry amongst musicians on stage and their ability to fuel the emotions of love and harmony, further anchored reggae music and culture into the hearts of old cruise-goers, dubbed ‘harmonisers’ and also new, like, Third World’s AJ Brown (and me).

“One word – amazing. The other band members performed on the cruise, but due to circumstantial reasons I wasn’t there, but for my first time, I’ve already observed what keeps persons coming back, high tide or low tide,” AJ Brown told The Gleaner.

He added, “For me, it was smooth sailing, and having that great experience only cemented what it means to be part of a group which continues to contribute to the fabric of Jamaica’s culture, and that of the Caribbean on a whole. It’s good to know, also, that there are persons who still enjoy wholesome reggae and lover’s rock music, and that I’m able to be part of the legacy and to continue building on it.”

Third World, which comprises Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, Richard Daley, Tony ‘Ruption’ Williams, Norris Webb, Richard Barr, Rupert Bent Jr and Brown, had the audience feeling the warmth of tunes like 96 Degrees in the Shade, Forbidden Love, Try Jah Love, Now That We Found Love, and the timely hit You’re Not The Only One from their 2019 album, More Work To Be Done, produced by Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley.

The veteran vocalist, whose singing style transcends genres and musical eras, also demonstrated impeccable range on Andrea Bocelli’s Con te Partiro (Time To Say Goodbye), which has become part of his repertoire since he recorded a rendition for his 2009 classical album Voice of Love, “and has evolved into a crowd-pleaser”. It was the appropriate close to the band’s set, but their show would not end until all of the dynamic musicians, who handled the stage like their personal playground, showed off their individual skills. Between Cat Coore’s instrumental interlude, playing Jr Gong’s The Mission and Bob Marley’s Redemption Song on cello, the give-and-take between the guitars and keyboards, and Ruption’s percussions’ segment, Third World’s performance offered a reminder of their astonishing quality of showmanship, and persons delighted in their playful yet professional ways.

Coore expressed a mixture of sadness and happiness as he returned to the stage, post an oesophageal surgery and cardiac scare last December. “It feels very good to be back on stage; it was sort of bittersweet for me personally, because of my illness and then my oldest brother died, leaving now, me alone out of three, but the reception was wonderful,” he said to The Gleaner, admitting that the 2023 Love and Harmony Cruise allowed for a “great comeback to face an audience”.

Meanwhile, Beres Hammond, who entered the stage after a musical interlude by DJ Jabba, the cruise’s co-founder and the host for the evening, left harmonisers yearning for more of his ‘vibes’. “He showed what one dance can do,” said a returning harmoniser, who expressed concern for the One Dance-artiste-and-songwriter, who after a hop, skip and a jump, retired to sitting on a stool for the remainder of his performance.

Though the veteran crooner did not appear to be in full form, or in the form expected by his loyal supporters, he was still able to provoke some members of the audience to tears and had most, if not all, rocking away. Songs like Pull Up The Vibes, No Goodbye, Double Trouble, Standing in My Way, She Loves Me Now, Can’t Stop A Man, and No Disturb Sign, among a list of more than 30 hits songs which he performed with little to no breaks between the tracks, continue to have fire power that knocks persons right off their feet, and others rising out of their seats.

Despite the echo of concern, some reasoned that the wind force on the Lido Pool Deck of the Holland America’s Eurodam ship where the concert was held, was what caused Hammond to do a seated performance.

Five-time attendee Cassandra McCarthy shared, “I loved every moment of the show; Beres can do me no harm. I may not have gotten to touch or taken a photograph with him this time around, and it have been the most enjoyable cruise line, but the entertainers, down to the background vocalists and musicians, showed what they are made of. I’ve already gone to check out details to book for 2024.”

Singers Dorrett Wisdom, Dennett Dejah Lewis, Thamar Williams and Sherida Sharpe, as well as the hornsmen, Hopeton Williams, Conrad Pinnock and Kemroy Bonfield, delivered a memorable and perfectly coordinated performance that warranted an encore and had the persons speaking about them down to the minute of disembarkation on Sunday morning.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com