THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013. 19.

Continued from Page 18.

Then it was the turn of Spice & Co. The venue was packed, the atmosphere was hot, and what a show it was! “I’ve waited twenty years for this!” said one ecstatic visitor. “I never thought I’d see them again, and when I heard they were playing in Bequia, I couldn’t believe it!” “I sailed all the way up from Grenada just to be here – and man, they were SENSA-TIONAL!” said another. Allan Sheppard, Dean Straker and Roger Foster had the crowd on their feet “bumping and wining” from the opening bars of “Rasta Man”, “De Congaline” and more – the songs just kept on coming. On stage for over 90 minutes, Spice & Co. - with James Lovell on drums, Andre Clarke on keyboard, vocalists Tamara Marshall and Jan Keiser, and saxo-phonist Kelly Patrick - gave a truly stellar performance that Bequia will never forget! But there was yet more to come with the last act of

the night. Bequia took NexCyx to their hearts three years ago, and have followed their fortunes ever since, so it’s not surprising the house went wild with their electri-fying performance of num-bers old and new, bringing the excitement to fever pitch till after 2am. Lead singer Mahalia Phillips had fans screaming for more from both her and co-vocalist Rochelle Griffith, with Kris Clarke, Russell Padmore, Andre Clarke and Chadd Iffill pumping up the pres-sure on bass, lead guitar, keyboard and drums, and Andre Forde guesting on pan. These brilliant young stars are no longer rising – they are firmly up there with the very best!

Keeping it local Sunday afternoon at De Reef in Lower Bay saw a relaxed and varied crowd enjoy the closing day with great performances by the Bequia’s Country Relatives, the Denzil Bacchus Blues Band from St. Vincent, with guest appearances by 10- year-old Vincentian pannist Sayeed Bowman, Jab Duplessis and Melissa

Yearwood, Jan and Louis with friends Jim Coleman, Patches Knights and Jackie Baptiste, and Bob Berlinghof’s Bequia Blues Band, with Uthan McIntosh, Ray Leslie and Jackie Baptiste and guest drummer Stephen Hart. As the sun went down, Nj3O took to the stage again for a few more numbers. Marius Charlemagne (bass), Joseph Callender (sax), Kerry Mason (keyboard) and drummer Rashad Hinds once again wowed the crowd with their jazzy, up-tempo renditions. “Of the whole weekend - that was MY Band!” said Coco Simmons, owner of Coco’s Place in Bequia. As Toby Armstrong joined them on stage for one last time, the scene was being set for the Mount Gay Surprise finale – and who better to close out the Bequia Music Fest than the band that Bequia loves so much - NexCyx! This time though it was NexCyx 2.0 - to the delight of the crowd, Alan Sheppard from Spice & Co. joined the band on stage for a final, NexCyx-style mega-watt set. A truly fitting climax to a fabulous week-end!

Appreciation and thanks The visiting musicians

were quick to offer their appreciation for the overall smooth running of the event, the hospitality – starting with the reception at Arnos Vale airport by a representa-tive of the SVG Tourism Authority – and the unique relaxed and intimate atmo-sphere for which the Bequia Music Fest is famous. “Everything went like clockwork this year” said Music Fest Director Wilfred Dederer, “...and I’m so pleased that all the hard work which went into the planning paid off. It takes good teamwork to make an event like this happen, and the Bequia Tourism Associa-tion and their volunteers, De Reef and their staff, and of

course all our sponsors are very much part of that team”. Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest organisers wish to thank headline sponsor Mount Gay Rum (Barbados), and major sponsors SVG Ministry of Tourism/SVG Tourism Authority, LIAT, Bequia Beach Hotel, Hair-oun Beer, Karib Cable, LIME St. Vincent, Air Adelphi, Frangipani Hotel, De Reef, CRS Music & Media, (Barbados), L’Auberge des Grenadines and Quik-Print (St. Vincent). The Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest is also gener-ously supported by Basil’s Bar Mustique, Nice Radio, Ezee Radio, SVGBC,

Keegan’s Beach Resort, Mango’s Bar and Grill, Mac’s Pizzeria, Vintages Bequia, Doris’ Fresh Food, WAG Service Station, Nichols’ Garage, Julie’s Guest House, Bequia Express, Compass Publishing and Outhouse Graphics. Thanks too to all the musicians, who made the 2013 Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest an event which will be remembered for years to come. (Submitted by The Bequia Music Fest Committee) Mahalia from NexCyx is loved by the crowd!

Ecstatic crowds at De Reef.

Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest 2013: “The Best Ever!”

Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest 2013: “The Best Ever!”

Sponsors enjoyed great exposure at Bequia Beach Hotel!

Saeed Bowman – rising young Vincentian pan star!

Alan, Dean, Jan and Tamara from Spice & Co.

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