Genesis Praise Fest rains blessings on 2024

Starting the year off in ‘godly’ fashion, the 38th annual staging of Genesis Praise Fest once again graced the grounds of Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Hope Road with seemingly endless hours of worship and fellowship.

Leading with youth ministries, the praise party kicked off at 5 p.m. despite afternoon showers threatening to soak the whole affair. Clearly not deterring the faithful, one patron cleared her space in the front row as early as 3:15 p.m. saying, “Nothing couldn’t stop me from come.”

With DJ Noi anchoring the early juggling, the Genesis Praise Team, as well as talented teens and young adults from across the island, offered up their talents for the enjoyment of the crowd and the glory of God.

Before long, the crowd was void of all seats. Though the subject matter was clearly Christian, performers utilised all genres in their sets. With performer’s like Perry in Christ delivering a Gospel remix of Bwoy Affi and Prince SAJ utilising the instrumental from Skeng’s Gvnman Shift, there was no lack of excitement for the night.

Referring to the event as the Gospel equivalent of Sumfest, patron Sherine Solomon told The Gleaner this would be an annual occurrence for her.

“Mi love this. A mi first time a come cause me just baptise, but this nice bad. You woulda think seh a just one heap a slow song and thing but mi go [whole] heap a party and this nicer than di whole a dem. This cyah miss me next year!”

Similarly, headliner for the event, Marvia Providence, marvelled at the existence of these opportunities to fellowship. Recalling the concerts of her youth, she said, “It was exciting because church was all we knew. Church was our social life, church was everything. So having events like this, we didn’t have it back then. So for them to have this, it’s a great blessing. You could be going to parties and other different events but thank God there are events like this to keep them out of those areas so they can worship God in their own way.”

She said though she has not performed in Jamaica for many years she was looking forward to gracing the Genesis stage once again.

“I’ve not done [a] show out here in a very long time. Longer than probably more than three or four years. Definitely way before COVID. It’s great to be back,” she said.

Before long, big acts like Goddy Goddy, Rian Davis, Johnmark Wiggan and Rondell Positive were lighting a fire in the belly of the audience. Though the rain threatened to return while the audience chanted the lyrics of Rondell Positive’s Cover Me, the only change that was noticed were the umbrellas ascending.

The people of Christendom partied on until the police instructed that the show come to an end at 12:35 p.m.

shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com