A two-and-a-half-hour delay could have resulted in an epic organisational failure for promoters at the first installation in the 2025 Coveside Concert series at Plantation Cove on Saturday. But a possible disaster turned into a delightful display of premium entertainment as veteran reggae acts delivered one scintillating performance after the other.

As soon as the show got underway, tardiness became a distant memory as eager patrons lost themselves in the sweet sounds.

Luciano, known throughout the entertainment fraternity as the Messenger, opened the show to thunderous applause from the audience. Clearly determined to give as much as he was receiving, the entertainer performed a slew of hits from his illustrious catalogue, including Who Could It Be, Give Praise, and Ulterior Motive.

Plantation Cove was quickly transformed into a mass choir as patrons added their voices to the singer’s set as he dished out classic hits.

But while the songs undoubtedly resonated with the audience, it was Luciano’s cries for unity and his pleas for Jamaicans to hold onto their faith that earned him the most forwards for the night. It wouldn’t be an authentic Luciano set if as the messenger, he didn’t deliver words of wisdom. Declaring faith a powerful tool, the singer urged Jamaicans to remember the power of prayer.

“Faith is a powerful thing. Sometimes we look down the road and it feels like there’s no way out but prayer works,” he said as he recalled how much his mother’s prayers helped to change many circumstances in his life.

He then launched into a soulful rendition of his prayerful single, Sweep Over My Soul, before adding the strings to his performance as he strummed the melody to his hit single, Serve Jah. Arms lifted to the heavens, members of the audience lost themselves in his set.

Heaven Help Us, Your World and Mine, In This Together, and Carry Jah Load were also songs the experienced entertainer drew from his bag of hits. But it was his powerful performance of It’s Me Again Jah that was perhaps the highlight of his set. On bended knees, with arms outstretched, Luciano belted out the lyrics before leading the audience in the Lord’s Prayer.

His efforts earned him praises from host Elise Kelly, who thanked Luciano for being a “clean, ‘upfull’ reggae musician”.

The mood continued with the next act, as Gramps Morgan began his set with a soulful rendition of the 23rd Psalm. Possessing the vocal prowess needed to take things to the next level, the singer brought with him positive vibrations. Calling on his brother, Mojo Morgan and his son, Jemere Morgan, the entertainer paid tribute to the memory of his late brother, Peetah — who passed away in February 2024.

Declaring “Morgan Heritage forever”, the trio performed Down By The River, from the Morgan Heritage repertoire. Gramps then went on to serve up a slew of original songs, including Runaway Bay and
Woman Like You. He ended his set with People Like You.

Some audience members fought back tears while others gasped as Gramps shared the touching story of how his youngest son survived a medical condition which led many doctors to predict the child would never walk. Revealing that the boy would have over 200 seizures per day, Gramps invited his son to join him on stage. The boy, having reportedly lost the ability to use 38 per cent of his brain, walked onto the stage and was welcomed by a resounding round of applause.

Barrington Levy closed the curtains on a night of spectacular performances. Indicating how happy he was to be back on home soil, he said it’s always an honour to perform in Jamaica as the reception is always patriotic and warm.

Digging deep into his bag of hits, Levy drew on classics such as Don’t Throw It All Away, Murderer, Under Mi Sensei and My Time. The audience could not get enough, which resulted in the entertainer performing several encores for the night. Showing just how vast his collection of hits is, Levy also performed Too Experienced, Black Roses, 21 Girls Salute, and She’s Mine.

“They talking about dancehall but this is what you do in dancehall,” he said before igniting the crowd even further with his internationally acclaimed single, Here I Come.

In a post-performance interview, Levy told the Jamaica Observer that he strategically books local shows few and far apart as he wants his home base to miss him while he flies the Jamaican flag high on the international circuit.

“It’s always a pleasure being back on home soil,” he said. “And to be honest the world needs us. You have to understand that a lot of the veteran artistes pass off and only a few of us leave, so we have to spread the music all over the world. So when you don’t see me, I am overseas promoting Jamaica.”

Creative director of the Coveside Concert series, Vonni Koromanti, told the Observer that, despite the late start, concert-goers waited patiently as they knew they would not be disappointed with the showcase.

Dubbing the event a “labour of love”, Koromanti said Coveside Concert is always from the heart.

“We are about the one-drop energy, that spirit of Jamaica, that positivity, that vibration of togetherness, and we’re in this for the long haul,” she declared. “I have a fabulous team who work really hard behind the scenes to make it happen. We are committed to delivering quality performances and we will continue to grow from strength to strength.”