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A true love affair - Zelpha Davis hooked on Sumfest since 2005
July 20, 2018
Western Bureau:
US resident Zelpha Davis had her first Reggae Sumfest experience in 2005, and except for the odd occasions, she has been making the annual trek back to Montego Bay for the past 13 years to renew her acquaintance with the festival.
"The oneness I feel in the air as the music engaged my ears down into the soul of every fibre of my body, whereby I am also one with it," was how Davis explained being hooked on Reggae Sumfest. "That feeling, I just can't get enough of it, so I keep coming back for more," added Davis, who has solid Jamaican roots.
Davis, who was educated at Jersey City NJ University, Hudson County College of NJ and Adelphi University in New York, and has worked on Wall Street for more than 20 years, sees reggae music as a means to get a musical and emotional high.
"It's message of hope, of life, of peace, no worries, no tears; leave things to our creator," said Davis.
While the festival in its entirety has been most fulfilling for Davis over the years, she has special memories that remain priceless to her.
"I can never forget the first time I saw Toots and the Maytals perform in 2005. It was awesome," said a reflective Davis. "He is the little engine that is so powerful and so filling, I just couldn't get enough. I also loved Lymie Murray's 2010 performance, so tranquil, so curing to the soul. I have met him and his spirit is equally powerful," said Davis, whose unmistakable smile has made her many friends in the VIP section at the festival over the years.
Looking forward to this year's staging of Reggae Sumfest, Davis is already excited.
"My expectation this year is to feel the same feeling of being one with the music and allow these voices to medicate me mentally," said Davis. "I am looking forward to seeing Beres Hammond, Capleton and Maxi Priest."
Davis, who now works as a client manager in the US, sees coming to Jamaica for Reggae Sumfest each year as her special homecoming experience, which will remain a constant for the foreseeable future.
