JAMAICA'S 39th INDEPENDENCE DANCE - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Hartford, Connecticut

By Donovan Longmore

Saturday August 4th, 2001 was a day that some Jamaicans will cherish. It was the end of the final week for Hartford Carnival Celebration. Many thought the celebration was over after the big parade climaxed on the last Saturday in July. Little did they know that the best was yet to come. After many discussions and meetings, Carnival finally came to Hartford, CT. Most of the planning was done without consideration of Jamaica's 39th year of freedom. With limited amounts of time and much anticipation, Jamaica's Independence Dance became a reality.

The previous week was packed with exciting events at various clubs to entice people from every island. All efforts were made to let everyone know that Jamaica would have a special night to celebrate their Independence. The night prior to the Dance, The Best Comedian in the Caribbean, Oliver Samuels, was on hand to help celebrate with us. He even took time out to tell the audience about the importance of every island independence and that we should celebrate it with pride. He was given an award for his contributions to theater, film, music, and most of all Jamaica. Though the event was hampered by rain (it was later moved inside the club) the crowd loved his performance. He continued his usual routine and gave the audience a treat by paying tribute to Miss Lou and read some of her materials. Errol Lee & The Bare Essential Band gave a brief performance, while Karen Smith waited for the dance on the next day.

The big day finally came. It was time to bare witness to a night full of excitement. The atmosphere was definitely one of independence! Love International (local sound) provided the early warm up with some real back home music. There were awards given to Dr. Kingsley Layne (St. Vincent & Grenadine Ambassador), Oliver Samuels (entertainer), and Veronica Airey-Wilson (Council Woman of Hartford). Each radio station that plays Caribbean music was given awards for their continued support and dedication in the community. Errol Lee & The Bare Essentials entered the stage in style. They did an excellent job of playing both Jamaica and the U.S. National Anthem. People were amazed at how good these guys could play. They gave us hit after hit–Reggae, Soca, Dancehall, R & B, and Calypso.

Next up was a young lady who has never performed in Hartford before, but was ready to let us know that she came to celebrate Independence with us. Karen Smith has been doing music for quite a while now. The moment she entered the stage, people were anxious to hear this lovely songbird. She took the place by storm; every song was received with loud cheers and screams for more. The young lady could do no wrong, she went from her own songs to some of the classics. Her new CD ("Reflections of Love") was nothing short of beautiful. The audience cheered her on to do "Breakfast in Bed" over again. She even paid a little tribute to her favorite women in music. The place went wild when she did most of the Festival songs from back in the days. The best was yet to come: she took time to sing some of Aretha Franklin's popular hits. Karen had the crowd at her fingertips, she would dance and sing across the stage and have the audience begging for more. This lovely singer exited the stage after giving what many believe was the best performance ever. She was a hard act to follow.

Nonetheless, the next artist is not just any artist. Living legend, The Best Songwriter in Reggae Music, Keith Anderson a.k.a. BOB ANDY was up next. He was at the top of his game. He entered the stage with the big hit "Unchained." The audience was on its feet. The man was simply awesome. His songs reminded us all of how proud and blessed we are as Jamaicans. He kept us on the dance floor and brought the house down when he did " I've Got to Go Back Home."

Errol Lee & Bare Essentials took over after backing all the artists and gave us more of what they do best. Love International finished up the night with some after-party music. It was truly a night to celebrate Jamaica's Independence. It will be hard to beat this year’s performance. Hope to see you all there as we will celebrate our 40th Independence. Big up to Leslie Perry and the crew.

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Originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Donovan Longmore moved to Connecticut where he hosts a radio show on WFCS (Saturdays 2-4 pm) and another one on WESU 88.1 in Middletown, CT (Sundays 5-8 pm), both entitled "Reggae Voyage." The shows’ objective is to promote positive Reggae and give the listening audience what they want to hear. 

Longmore has won numerous awards, trophies, and plaques for his continued service to the community. Additionally, he is a promoter for the Reggae Summersplash Festival in Hartford and is a self-described community activist and Reggae fanatic!