THE sweet sounds of reggae, gospel, Negro spirituals and world beat music flowed through Emancipation Park last Friday, as the American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock  brought their brand of music to the popular Corporate Area green space.

The event was Blues on the Green, the annual concert presented by the United States Embassy in Jamaica to commemorate Black History Month.

The quartet of women, who are renowned for their engaging music rooted deeply in the African-American experience, told a story of struggle and hardship, defiance and redemption all wrapped up in an over-arching message of love and peace.

Their set included a suite of songs dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement which included Freedom a Come, a take on the popular Jamaican folk track Day-O made popular internationally by Harry Belafonte himself, a prime figure in the drive to obtain basic human rights for people of African descent in the United States.

Other tracks in this segments included We Shall Not Be Moved, Greed, Mercy Me, and a spirited version of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.

Sweet Honey in the Rock, which was formed in 1973 in Washington DC, has seen 24 different women compose the group and the foursome which appeared in the park on Friday represented the sound and spirit which has made them a Grammy-winning aggregation.

Their tight and well-coordinated harmonies were evident on tracks such as We Give Love which they recorded through a collaboration with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Nina Simone’s Feeling Blue, I Like it That Way and their final piece, Let There Be Peace which segued into Get Jesus on the Line, which found favour with the local audience.

Being an a cappella group ‘Sweet Honey’s’ only form  of instrumentation was Romeir Mendez on bass. Interestingly Mendez is of Jamaican parentage and among the members of the audience were his grandparents retired assistant commissioner of police V G Sinclair and his wife Norma.

“It was my first time playing infront of a Jamaican audience and I was just overwhelmed. To look out in that audience and see my grandfather sitting there was amazing… words can’t describe,” said Mendez who has been playing bass for the group since September last year.

For Sinclair, to hear his grandson play inside Emancipation Park, was inspiring.

“ I got goosebumps!” he declared. “ No matter how dull my day was, this has lifted me to such a great height that nothing can shake my spirit,” stated Sinclair, himself a noted guitar player.

This year’s concert, the 23rd in the series, saw United Kingdom-based Jamaican singer Brina opening the event with her brand of reggae and afro beat sounds. Her performance was well-received by the thousands who came out. She was followed by Othneil Lewis and Friends.

This band included noted names in Jamaican music — Desi Jones on drums, Chris McDonald on keyboards,  Robert Browne on guitar, Everol Wray on trumpet and trombone and Nicholas Laraque on saxophone and flute, with Lewis as musical director and on keyboards. Their lively opening number — Earth Wind and Fire’s September sequed into Watermelon Man and then mellowed out with Cry Me a River which featured a moving sax solo by Laraque.

While Sweet Honey in the Rock  was not as engaging as last year’s headliner the gutsy blues diva Shemeika Copeland, they were able to hold the attention of the local audience and their pieces were appreciated as evidenced by the applause they received at various points during the event.

The United States Embassy in Jamaica should be commended for this initiative on their part in bringing quality entertainment to the local audience.

— Richard Johnson