MONTEGO BAY, St James — More than 800 patrons crammed the Hard Rock Café, Montego Bay, where they revelled in great entertainment at the facility’s recent grand opening party featuring live performances.

A highlight of the event was the signature smashing of seven brand new guitars by patrons invited on stage, signifying the official opening of one of Montego Bay’s newest entertainment spots.Participants in the activity were Andre Dixon, COO/Director, Viking Productions and Rockin’ Restaurant Group; Paul Zar, partner, Viking Productions; Tom Perez, VP of Franchise Operations for the Americas Division, Hard Rock International; Hugh Logan, VP of Sales and Marketing, Caribbean Producers Ltd; Alyssa Moo Young, brand manager, Pepsi; Suwannee Stewart, brand manager, Heineken; and Dwight Crawford, councillor for the Spring Gardens Division in St James.During the live entertainment segment, upcoming female act, Ikaya, was in top flight.She impressed with Flyaway, Write Your Name and Ugly Girl.Seasoned female roots performer Etana, “the strong one”, easily connected with the receptive audience with her brand of reggae music, including I Am Not Afraid and Blessing.And so did Ky-Mani Marley, son of the legendary reggae ambassador Bob Marley, who performed some of his father’s hits, as well as originals such as Warriors, Hustler and Hypocrites.The event, which was hosted by Nikki Z, was also highlighted by the music of Jam Vibez Reggae Band, DJ Kurt Riley and DJ Karamel.Dixon saluted Montegonians for their support of the St James franchise, which opened late last year.“I am very proud of the locals for their support of Hard Rock Café Montego Bay. The original projection was that 70 per cent of the patrons would have been tourists and 30 per cent Jamaicans, but in real numbers the patronage has actually been 50 per cent tourists and 50 per cent locals since the café opened on December 24,” Dixon told the

Jamaica Observer West.Last year, ground was broken in the resort city of Montego Bay for the establishment of the internationally renowned brand, Hard Rock Café, which represented an investment of some US$2 million by Viking Production.