Florence Hall, Trelawny - Curefest, singer Jah Cure's first major performance on local soil since his release from prison on a rape, robbery and arms conviction, ended on Monday morning with over 80 local artistes paying tribute to the 29-year-old rising Reggae star.

Jah Cure during his performance at Curefest Monday morning.

The show, which will probably go down in history for having the most performers in one night, ran from approximately 7:30 Sunday night to shortly after 8:00 Monday morning when Jah Cure, surrounded by family, friends, his management team and a tight security detail, ended his closing half-hour performance with his hit single Dung In Deh.

The singer took to the stage shortly after 7:00 Monday morning, preceded by Beenie Man and a list of 'who's who' in dancehall and Reggae, the melodious tones of his monster hit Longing For - recorded while still in prison - as crisp and fresh as the morning air that filtered into the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.

His dramatic entrance, complete with the release of three doves by his self-described "spiritual" adviser, Abbazero, was enough to set the 25,000 capacity stadium on fire. Dressed in all white merino, pants and shirt with the African map emblazoned on the front and back of the outfit, Cure then launched into the single Good Morning Jah Jah as he welcomed the rising sun.

He then moved into the triumphant Songs Of Freedom, the first single produced since his release from prison in July, before he was joined onstage by a fiery Fantan Mojah for their collaborative effort Dem Na Build Great Man.
With a masterful delivery that had fans singing every word of his many hits, including Jah Jah Bless, What Will It Take You, Love Is The Solution, Love Is, Searching For A Girl, Run Come Love Me Tonight with Jah Mason, Dancehall Vibe and True Reflections, Cure had the audience going wild.

A section of the large Curefest audience at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium Monday morning.

Women screamed out his name and fought to touch his hand as he went on his emotional journey through song, making it known, in no uncertain terms, that they had indeed been longing for him. The singer, who has not performed at any major event locally since his eight-year incarceration, gave a splendid performance betraying no hint of debut performance anxiety.

During his approximately 45-minute set, Cure brought his baby niece onstage and was also given a full endorsement from famed producer and recording artiste, Lee Scratch Perry, who ran onstage during the singer's performance and hoisted him in the air. "This yah man is one of the foundation," Cure noted, indicating the eccentric Perry.

Later in an interview with reporters, many of whom came from Europe and North America, the singer said fans could expect another album from him shortly. "Music is my life," he said. "That's all I know."
Earlier, deejay Beenie Man highlighted that the singer had a mere two singles before he went to prison and returned eight years later with two albums. Beenie Man, whose high-energy performance was a fitting precursor to Cure's entrance, attributed this to the ability of the human mind to meditate and create while in isolation.

The deejay, whose performance was the high point of the show, revved up the audience in the wee hours for Cure's arrival, after an almost endless stream of up-and-coming and established acts. His dynamic onstage delivery had the thousands of patrons jumping and waving their flags in anticipation of Cure's arrival as the master performer belted out his crowd favourites, including Back It Up, Heart Attack and Old Dawg.

Prior to Beenie Man's arrival, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Busy Signal and Sizzla went through their rounds on stage as the promoters, realising that time was against them, herded them all on stage for a group act. Sizzla, however, defied the promoters when it was time to leave and extended his performance for 15 minutes to the delight of the audience.
The audience, which had earlier sat through an endless stream of artistes that at the end of the night numbered more than 80, with scheduled acts inviting protégés on for impromptu performances, seemed not to mind.

The show was divided into three segments, with several artistes giving very commendable performances, including Tarrus Riley, I-Wayne, Gyptian and Coco Tea, who tantalised the audience with snippets of his vast repertoire and was the first to get a unified response from the thousands at the venue.

Dwayne Stephenson, former To-Isis lead vocalist, gave a good account of himself, as did his group members who closed the first segment of the 13-hour-long show. Others, including Nesbeth, Queen Ifrika, Jimmy Riley and 2005 Digicel Rising Stars winner Christopher Martin were also on top of their game.

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