Christmas songs soothe souls at Blast From the Past

Saturday night's Blast From the Past at Oakton Park, Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, was billed as a vintage music affair, and with Ken Boothe, Derrick Morgan, Ernie Smith, Big Youth, Boris Gardiner, George Nooks, and Gem Myers on the line-up, it lived up to what was promised.

But with a week to go before the 2016 celebration of Christ's birth climaxes, the season of good cheer was not to be left out of the musical fare.

Standout Vocals

Boris Gardiner declared that it is the only time of year that he gets to sing The Meaning of Christmas. Gem Myers was next and her standout vocals meshed exquisitely with Oh Holy Night.

All For Jesus is not a Christmas song, but it is about Christ and Ernie Smith declared it his tune for the season. And while closing, performer George Nooks did not deliver a strictly Yuletide song, his set was replete with Christian songs, from God is Standing By to a closing medley of choruses which had the audience singing along to the final amen.

The hits were there as Gardiner performed I Wanna Wake Up With You. Myers did One Man Woman, Smith took the audience on a Pitta Patta journey of rain on the roof top and lovers in embrace.

Ken Boothe danced along Freedom Street, and Big Youth served up I Pray Thee on the Satta rhythm. Whether singing Zion Gates and morphing into the declaimer that "the dread no have no forty leg inna him head", comforting with God Is Standing By or ruminating on the lack of equilibrium between possession of cash and receiving love, Nooks enjoyed the audience's vociferous support.