The Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) will once again take fans on a stroll down memory lane by reliving one of music’s finest eras — The heyday of Motown Records.

It’s about one of your very favourite shows, the show that pits accomplished Jamaican artistes in the roles of unforgettable acts that gave the 50-year-old company its unmistakable brand of recorded music.

This year’s event to recapture the essences of this beloved period, a time when many of us, including some of our own musical legends were “getting the butterflies” listening to the songs and watching the Motown’s sensations strut their stuff, is set for The Gardens, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday, April 30, 2010.

Already, the plot is thickening. Can you imagine Ken Bob performing the hits of Smokey Robinson and Keith Lyn those belonging to Engelbert Humperdinck? — Yes, you can.

And that’s not all. Fab Five Band will definitely return as The Barkays, Dwight Pinkney as Bill Withers, Elaine Peart as Della Reese. “But, there are some new and exciting permutations being sorted out, like northcoast standout Lynford McIntosh as “the best Michael Jackson that you will ever see”, likewise for Andrew Cassanova as Eddie Kendricks, Keisha Patterson as Etta James, Michael Rutherford as Lou Rawls, Diana Rutherford (his daughter) as Barbara Streisand, Baggadito as The Righteous Brothers, Yasmine Black and Oliver ‘Smooth’ Gordon as Peaches and Herb, and Deh-Deh as ‘The Iceman’ Jerry Butler, revealed a source close to the event.

Only Don Topping, veteran master of ceremony will be as himself, “El Numero Uno”!

For the uninitiated, Motown is a record company founded by Berry Gordy Jr who got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as Jackie Wilson and The Matadors, incorporated Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on April 14, 1960.

The name, a fusion of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit. Now headquartered in New York City, Motown is a subsidiary of Universal Motown Republic Group, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and now operates as Universal Motown. Motown Records was also the name of Gordy’s second record label; the first, Tamla Records, began on January 12, 1959.

It has been widely acknowledged that this illustrious recording outfit, played an important role in the racial integration of popular music, as it was the first record label owned by an African American to primarily feature African-American artists who achieved crossover success.

In the 1960s, Motown and its soul-based subsidiaries were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as The Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence.

Motown has owned or distributed releases from more than 45 subsidiaries in varying genres, although it is most famous for its releases in the music genres of rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop, and pop. Motown Records left Detroit for Los Angeles in 1972, and remained an independent company until June 28, 1988, when Gordy sold the company to MCA and Boston Ventures (which took over full ownership of Motown in 1991), then to PolyGram in 1994.

Jackie Wilson’s single Lonely Teardrops, written by Gordy, became a huge success; however, Gordy did not feel he made as much money as he deserved from this and other singles he wrote for Wilson. He realised that the more lucrative end of the business was in producing records and owning the publishing.

It is this rich musical legacy JAVAA will be celebrating approximately a fortnight from now when you can sing-along to the hits of some of pop music greatest icons.