Reggae artistes Etana, Freddie McGregor along with novelists peppered tributes at the Calabash Literary Festival on Friday for the West Kingston 73.

There was no explicit support for the security forces but rather implied sympathy for the over 70 killed in the Kingston community, last week.

“This is for all those who lost their lives in the war. All Jamaicans are feeling sad and stressed. We are going to be free like the bird because it can’t go on forever,” spoke Etana during a song about freedom.

Her performance included 12 songs and two encores. Decked in full denim and a Mohawk-mullet, Etana and band played inspirational music without break for 50 minutes. It included song progressions that shifted into new songs like a sound system creating a continuous flow of reggae. Etana’s band introduced her set with Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Really Care About Us. She ended with Bob Marley’s No More Trouble: “We don’t need no more trouble/ we continue to fight and we will win.”

Freddie McGregor, in the midst of his 15 song-set reflected on the “atrocities in our country”.

“We really don’t need it. Our Lord, bless Jamaica, guide and protect us in this time,” he stated, then covered a gospel song with the chorus, Jesus my soul is in your hands.

He added: “This is a tribute for those who lost their lives especially the innocent ones, sometimes we don’t take the time to reflect.”

Calabash’s charismatic founder and artistic director Colin Channer stated that the limited State of Emergency could not cancel the festival.

“People thought we wouldn’t have Calabash this year and you know how it go with this politics thing when you live in a country where there is a prime minister and a president,” quipped Channer. “Nothing in the world can overcome this bona-fide love which began 10 years ago, in Treasure Beach.”

The festival of over 32 performers recorded two cancellations — Feryal Ali Gauhar from Pakistan and Marjorie Agosin from Chile/US — resulting from the State of Emergency imposed on the nation’s capital including .

Diana McCaulay, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) read from her novel Dog Heart in performance. But concluded with prose of the Tivoli raid.

“Seventy-three killed and four guns found, victims of ancient mouths and open sores,” she lamented.

The size of the audience appeared similar to that of last year, with seats filled to capacity for premiere performers. The usual senior politicians were also present, whilst the police patrolled without imposing.

“The writers really supported us,” responded Calabash programming director Kwame Dawes upon telling the Observer of the cancellations.

Despite the cancellations the festival still had writers from nine countries led by Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka, will cost over US$100,000 ($8.9 million) to stage.

The original line-up included authors from Africa, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Egypt, US, UK, Cuba, Bahamas, Trinidad and Jamaica.

The Saturday afternoon session included an open mic filled with poems on Tivoli.