Machel Montano, TOK, Alpha, Lion I & Vert-X
@ Mindoo Phillip Park, St. Lucia Jazz Festival
5 May 2006

Photographs & review in order of stage appearance.

Click an image to enlarge.

I felt a little nervous attending the official opening of the 15th annual St. Lucia Jazz Festival. It had been nine years since my last visit to the Island and I was unsure of new venue locations and protocol. Fortunately I was soon made aware, though there have been many changes regarding the St. Lucia Tourist Board’s chosen venues, presentation and commercial strategy - The overall outcome seemed positive.

I was determined to cover this specific event, though many travelling journalists had decided not to attend due to the fact that: “The artist line up would not have a large commercial following...!”

The musicians on this page are not Jazz musicians, they may not feature in my personal collection, but I considered this event to have great local significance. I came to St. Lucia not only to photograph and review musicians in a glorious setting, but to also soak up as much of the local vibe as possible.

The Mindoo Philip Park Sports Stadium in Castries may have been void of world press, but journalists do not make an event!

With the above uplifting thought still in mind… It took some time for this venue to fill. The start time was printed as 8:00p.m. Patrons did not start to arrive in force until nearly 9:00pm. Then - at a blink of an eye this large open-air venue was jammed solid. Home-grown vocal band Vert-X took the lead with a decidedly false and overused R&B format. They were unable to generate much more than polite applause from the expectant crowd. Rehearsed lines such as “Stop the violence, yeah we must stop the violence”, only highlighted the fact that this young group had little else to offer in the way of substance and vocal quality.

Smooth Reggae vocalist Lion I, together with tight munificent backing from resident band, did manage to raise the temperature slightly. From this point forward you could see, and feel the crowd (specifically female patrons) begin to come alive.

Soca Monarch Wenhal James aka Alpha proved just why his popularity is increasing with each live performance. Mixing soca, reggae with a splash of soul, Alpha wooed both female and later, male patrons with the inclusion of stylish leggy dancers to give an overall polished performance.

Reggae dancehall crew TOK did not have a smooth ride into the mainstream, or have an immediate effect on the charts. It took a great deal of persistence, hard work, and a little pain before success would knock at their door. Alistaire McCalla, Roshaun Clarke, Craig Thompson and Xavier Davidson formed T.O.K (Touch Of Klass) in the early 1990’s. After a series of unsuccessful releases and various label changes, the group joined forces with engineer Richard Browne, who was on course to set up his own label. TOK signed to Browne’s label, but their initial release went unnoticed. The second single “Hardcore Lover” (a collaboration with Lady Saw) reached number 4 in the reggae charts. The group had finally arrived.

I had my back to the stage – It was the broad smiles, gleaming eyes and ear piercing screams from the now rambunctious crowd, which alerted me of TOK’s arrival. The party was now in full swing, with TOK in full control.

Not content with the substantial stage floor space, individual band members took the brave decision to throw themselves into the front row of hot, writhing women, who were… let’s say, dressed specifically for the occasion. Surprisingly, each band member was able to return to the stage without loosing limbs, or any items of clothing.

Though TOK’s performance is now geared towards the hard-hitting dancehall crew, you can still hear remnants of their earlier R&B harmony sessions. After all, this group was inspired by R&B crooners Boyz II Men. To completely eliminate such a powerful influence from any group or individual would surely take time. And why remove such a positive element anyway.

Trinidadian born Machel Montano, definitely needed no introduction to the Mindoo Philip Park patrons. Montano, together with his power charged band Xtatic, have played a key role in soca festivals and major events throughout the Caribbean, New York, Toronto, Miami and London. Montano has been described as a Stevie Wonder of Soca. With such high praise, I presume the comparison is due to Montano’s singer / songwriter and bandleader status, as well as his band’s recognition internationally. To date Montano and band have performed with the likes of TLC, Shaggy, Destiny’s Child and Bounty Killer to name a few.

Machel Montano is not the king of crooners; he will not provide heavenly harmonies. Instead, Montano delivers raw soca / reggae dancehall, in a style his boisterous fans love. His fans expect no less than full-on dramatic storytelling, and that is exactly what they get. His facial expressions and on stage antics are entertaining, and occasionally a little shocking to the more conservative, but if there were any true conservatives present, I suspect their blue rosettes would have been left at home tonight.

Thankfully, Montano did not throw himself into the crowd. Photographs of a man being stripped naked may appeal to some...!

Montano has an on stage energy which, if tapped, could generate enough power to drive the Caribbean’s air conditioning units for a year. From the outset his intention was clear – To ensure the St. Lucia Jazz Festival would begin with a BANG!