JAMAICANS who flocked the National Stadium on Sunday night for the annual Grand Gala enjoyed what must have been the most crowded and entertaining staging since Independence 61 years ago.

A huge crowd descended on the venue from as early as midday, seeking entry. And despite opening up the gates to the country’s largest and most prominent arena from as early as 3 pm, the security and staff appointed to control the entrance were in for a rough period of handling even the ticket holders who had turned up early enough for a smooth start to the event, or fans who had been scammed into buying tickets for as much as $2,000 each from hawkers covering the front of the venue.

The parking areas of Independence Park were jam-packed for hours after the event ended, and while there were numerous buses to handle the amazing number of teenagers and their friends who were either in the Grandstand or Bleachers watching their colleagues dance, sing and parade with the colourful uniformed guards, at the end of the event one could not help being concerned about how the hundreds of youngsters who performed or flocked to the event would get home. The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) had a fairly good plan to assist the crowd, using a number their buses to get some people to transportation centres like Half-Way-Tree and Cross Roads. But in these circumstances this could not avoid hearing the negative comments from persons who wanted to get away from the stadium or arrive home before midnight.

Inside the stadium it was evident that a few people who fainted — in a rush to get off the field of activity or through McDonald Tunnel — had actually fainted close to or inside. Two persons just suddenly fell flat on the floor of the tunnel in front of this newspaper’s own team, but as they fell they were quickly whisked up and out of the Grand Stand and apparently to some place where they could get assistance.

The event actually started sometime after 6:00 pm, with the entry into the stadium of Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange behind that of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) and other uniformed groups, including the Jamaica Military Band (JMB).

Grange was followed by the mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams; Major General Antony Anderson, police commissioner; Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, the chief of defence staff; Chief Justice Bryan Sykes; Speaker of the House of Representatives Marisa Dalrymple Philibert; Member of Parliament (MP) for St Catherine Eastern Denise Daley, who actually represented Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding; Thomas Tavares-Finson, president of the Senate; Prime Minister Andrew Holness; and Custos Steadman Fuller, representing Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

This was followed by the raising of the flag exactly where it was first hoisted 61 years ago, followed by a very remarkable rendition of the national anthem by leading songstress Tessanne Chin who earned a very warm response from the crowd for that performance as well as other songs.

After the departure of the uniformed massed bands and the JDF’s convoy and drill display, the entertainment started flowing with this year’s festival song competition’s leading performers — Slashe, the winning entrant; Shuga, who was runner-up in the competition; and third-placed Exco Levi. All three songs were produced by veteran Penthouse boss Donovan Germain.

However, as if to show the crowd how lively and interesting the competition has always been, Roy Rayon was called on to help tear the ceiling down with his Jamaica Festival Song Competition winning entries: Love Fever (1985), Give Thanks and Praises (1987), Come Rock (1991), and Rise and Shine (2008).

He was followed by some militant poetry from radio host/poet Mutabaruka, who got a rousing response for his attack on slavery.

Three members of Morgan Heritage — Gramps, Peetah and Mojo Morgan — arrived on the scene to collect a Reggae Icon award but couldn’t leave the stage without doing some of their best known songs, including Down by the River, She’s Still Loving Me, and Don’t Haffi Dread.

The group was led to the stage by Prime Minister Holness and was delighted with the subsequent citation and handover of the trophy by Grange as she presented the ministry’s Music Icon Award to the siblings. In the past this award was bestowed on Toots Hibbert, Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, and Sanchez.

The trio also paid tribute to the crowd and the country for adopting their music, before leaving the stage to Trinidad and Tobago-born and Jamaican-grown Machel Montano, the leading soca star, who was honoured by the councillors of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) for his contribution to the music of his own country as well as his strong links to Jamaica from his childhood, his education commencing in Kingston.

Montano, who was honoured with the Key to the City of Kingston, began his set with a period of darkness as his fans held aloft lit cellphones and lighters across the entire stadium, leading to the arrival of a number of varied coloured drones floating across the darkened stadium.

The finale was a beautiful mixture of tamed fireworks and drones, with thousands of people still dancing in their rows to the gospel music of Kukudoo who was introduced on stage by radio MC Markland Edwards.

The performances ended with some heavy dancehall music from Ding Dong, Rose Don, DJ Shukkle, Chronic Law, and Valiant.