The organisers of Live and Direc are promising non-stop entertainment and a wholesome family show when its second staging unfolds on Saturday, October 26 at the UWI Mona Bowl.

Live and Direc debuted last year and according to singer Bryan Art, a member of the organising committee, they decided to increase the stakes for this year’s staging.

“You can expect a tightly run show, it’s going to be different. Non-stop entertainment, real live music, real singing and performances accompanied by a band with full instrumentals,” Bryan Art disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer at the media launch held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Thursday night.

The event will feature legendary American vocal group Boyz II Men, whose work has resonated with music lovers for the past 33 years. The group’s hit list includes chart-toppers such as A Song for Mama, It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday, Motown Philly, I’ll Make Love to You, and Water Runs Dry. Tessanne Chin, the 2013 winner of The Voice, and Lila Ike are also on the line-up.

Asked what type of investment went into putting the event together, Bryan Art shied away from a direct response. He, however, offered: “This is a big investment. Boyz II Men are not cheap and the production, which is top class, is not cheap either,” said Byran Art.

Live and Direc is scheduled to commence at 8 pm and end at 12 midnight.

“Last year we had the first staging with local acts like Sizzla, Lukie D and Luciano, so this year, we decided to take it up a notch with Boyz II Men,” Byran Art shared.

Chin, who previously shared stage with Boyz II Men earlier in her career, said she is looking forward to entertaining the audience and also being a member of the audience to enjoy the performances.

“I am very happy to be a part of the line-up. First of all, I am a huge fan of Boyz II Men and I am looking forward to sharing the stage with them again. What I am most looking forward to is being a part of the audience and being on the stage singing for the fans,” Chin told the Jamaica Observer.

Asked to name her favourite song by Boyz II Men, the Hideaway singer said, “ Water Runs Dry and also their version of Can You Stand the Rain.”

Several companies have thrown their support behind the staging of Live and Direc. They include Mayberry Investments, Island Grill, Main Event Entertainment Group, and Facey Commodity.

Supreme Ventures, a major partner for the event, has been giving away VIP tickets to its customers in a promotion that runs until October 12.

Chloleen Daley Muschett is the corporate communications and PR manager at Supreme Ventures Limited.

“This was an easy decision to partner with the organisers. We are a gaming and event brand, so we also look for opportunities for us to make that synergy between what we do with our lottery products and what is considered standard entertainment,” Daley Muschett disclosed.

She added, “We are giving away 400 VIP tickets to our lucky customers to see Boyz II Men. We’ve made it very easy and very accessible. All you have to do is purchase a Cash Pot ticket, listen out for a special jingle, and if you hear that special jingle when you’re in store, it means you’ve won two tickets and a free Cash Pot quick print ticket. The promotion runs until October 12. You can also win by following our Instagram page.”

Boyz II Men was formed in 1985 as Unique Attraction. Originally from Philadelphia, the group first saw commercial success in 1991 with the release of their singles Motownphilly and It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, both of which peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Their 1992 single End of the Road topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a record breaking 13 weeks back then. They also scored long-running #1 positions with I’ll Make Love to You and One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey.

Boyz II Men became the third musical act, after the Beatles and Elvis Presley, to replace themselves atop the Billboard Hot 100. These achievements gave Boyz II Men recognition as
Billboard magazine’s biggest boy band from 1987 to 2012.

The group has sold in excess of 30 million albums globally and 20 million singles.

It’s all smiles for (from left) Tessanne Chin, event promoter Cheryl Peart and Bryan Hart during the launch of Live and Direc at Jamaica Pegasus on Thursday. The event, which will also see live performances from Boyz II Men and Lila Ike, will take place at UWI Mona Bowl on October 26, 2024. (Garfield Robinson)

Legendary American R&B group Boyz II Men.