Almost a week ahead of its 22nd anniversary, fans of Western Consciousness from the Corporate Area will get a sneak preview free of cost tonight at Bamboozia Café on Molynes Road.

Billed as the preview party for the 2010 staging of the main event on Saturday, May 22, in Westmoreland, it will showcase some of the artistes booked for the event.

Tonight’s cast comprises Turbulence, I-Octane, Lutan Fyah, Lymie Murray, Bescenta, Big Youth, Hezron, Magana, Iyah Blaze and Jahvante, backed by Sane Band.

In the absence of the road shows this year, the organisers have decided to give the Corporate Area a taste of what is in store for patrons at the annual roots and culture one-night reggae festival, dubbed a Celebration of Good Over Evil.

“Since we aren’t doing road shows, we took a decision that the week before we would have this preview for the Kingston people to be encouraged to come out for the event,” coordinator and emcee for tonight’s preview Denise ‘Isis’ Miller told Splash.

Even though there were no road shows, the promoters came up with an innovative “edutainment” promotional package which had two of the more popular acts slated to perform on Western Consciousness, Tarrus Riley and Bescenta visiting schools giving inspirational talks along with musical performances.

“That was part of the celebration of good over evil. Good music over evil music. Good lifestyle over evil lifestyle. We decided that we need to reach the youths, the children because they are the men and women of tomorrow and certainly they are going to be taking over from us,” Worrell King of King of Kings Promotions said.

“So we took Western Consciousness into the schools. We had Tarrus Riley and Bescenta not just to perform, but help to mould the children into a mode of consciousness, a mode of positiveness. Having dialogue and rapport with the kids….and then lyrically speaking to them, we showed them the good and the bad of the lyrics and encouraged them towards the good ones,” explained the event’s founder/promoter.

The schools visited were Petersfield and Grange Hill High Schools in Westmoreland. King said that this initiative is in great demand as having heard about it a lot of schools have been making requests. King promised that as soon as Western Consciousness is held, he will be taking the same team of artistes into other schools.