Originally set to take place over the weekend of November 7-9, the annual Treasure Beach Food, Rum and Reggae Festival was just a week away when disaster struck its host parish of St Elizabeth. Having been hard hit by Hurricane Melissa, entertainment venues, including Jake’s Treasure Beach, where the festival was scheduled to be held, were left significantly damaged.

But, instead of cancelling the cultural showcase completely, organisers decided on a location switch and rolling the highly-anticipated event over into the month of December. With a renewed purpose, the festival delivered on its promise of a spectacular, high-energy showcase on the grounds of Ranny Williams Entertainment Complex in St Andrew on Sunday.

In addition to the main acts, Capleton and Agent Sasco, guests were treated to surprise appearances by Turbulence and Richie Spice.

Urging the crowd to celebrate life, Agent Sasco set the tone for what turned out to be an epic display of musical support at its finest. The seasoned deejay commanded the stage effortlessly from his extensive catalogue, including Fade Away, Same Thing Again, Almighty Protect, Hand To Mouth, Same Thing Again, and Winning Right Now.

Encouraging his fellow Jamaicans to continue extending aid to their brothers and sisters across western Jamaica, who were hard hit by Hurricane Melissa, the deejay shared that, despite the harsh realities many Jamaicans face, the country is one built on hope and will see brighter days. He then smoothly transitioned into Banks of the Hope before urging patrons to embrace gratitude even amid despair.

The energy inside Ranny Williams then boiled to fever-pitch as Capleton blazed quite the trail through a slew of hits — Or Wah, That Day Will Come, Slew Dem, Jah Jah City, and Mi Deh Yah. The vibe was undeniable as the fully engaged crowd gave as much as they received.

The versatile veteran entertainer, also popularly known as King Shango, switched flames, delving into his segment that catered specifically to his female fan base. He had his female patronage singing along to songs like Hunt Yuh, Inna Har Heart, Look Good Chart, and Good Inna Har Clothes. The entertainer also took the opportunity to pay his respects to the late Jimmy Cliff by leading the crowd in a brief sing-along of some of the reggae legend’s most notable hits, including Many Rivers to Cross, The Harder They Come, and Wonderful World, Beautiful People.

He then lauded festival organisers for choosing to focus on the agricultural sector in their rebuilding efforts, stating that food is the staff of life.

To that end, festival Co-Director Jason Henzell said: “We have given out $11 million in farm vouchers already, and we’re hoping to more than double that, because there are more than 1,100 farmers in the Pedro Plains division alone. St Elizabeth is the breadbasket parish of Jamaica, and so it is important that those farmers and fisherfolk get back out there as quickly as possible and restore a sense of hope,” he said. Henzell went on to express gratitude for the turnout, saying it was heart-warming to see Jamaicans show up for each other daily.

“My breath was taken away walking in tonight and seeing the crowd. I have never done anything like this in Kingston before, and I really have to give a lot of credit to Gregory Wright, who is my main partner in this festival. In life, sometimes you have to pivot, and we were hoping to be on the beach in Treasure Beach, but that was not meant to be. To be here at Ranny Williams and to know we got the venue for free, it says a lot about who we are as a unified people. There’s a lot of solidarity being shown right now, and we are very grateful,” he continued.