The roots of British band Steel Pulse and the dancemania of Elephant Man will meet at the Goodyear Oval in Springfield, St. Thomas, on December 25, for Red Label Wine East Fest 2004.
By Mel CookeThe details of the fifth renewal of the show were outlined by Denroy Morgan at the J. Wray and Nephew Ltd.'s Hospitality Room, Spanish Town Road, St. Andrew, on Tuesday morning.
However, while the line-up has many big names, including Sister Carol, Luciano, Beenie Man, Tony Rebel, Richie Spice, Chuck Fenda, Cocoa Tea, Bushman and Jimmy Riley, there is one notable absentee.
Morgan Heritage will not be performing at Red Label Wine East Fest 2004 and Andrea Davis of Jamaica Arts Holdings, which co-ordinated the launch, explained that this year the group members will be concentrating on producing the event. In addition, they are working on an album which will be released in early 2005.
Their younger siblings, LMS, are on the roster, which presents the next generation through Turbulance, Lymie Murray, Passion, Fantan Mojah, Natty King, Queen Ifrica and Natural Black.
This year Red Label Wine East Fest 2004 will make an early start. Although the official concert starts at 8:00 p.m., Denroy Morgan said that the gates will be open from 3:00 p.m., for a "show before the show" at 4:00 p.m.
This will see Kumina, John Canoe, Gerrue and Mento being presented, as well as music from the Boboshanti Band, the Nyabinghi Roots Band and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
"Some of these music, you hear only if you live in a tourist area or you visit a tourist area," Morgan said, noting that the children need to be inspired by that kind of music as well. "We want to bring this to the forefront, in the hope that it may inspire some of the promoters putting on concerts in Jamaica," Morgan said.
NO FREE ENTRY
The entry price for this year's Red Label Wine East Fest is $900, but those who come in from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will pay $700, as long as they do not go back outside. And those who may be hoping for free entry in the early hours of Boxing Day had better think again.
"We naa fly no gate. It fly from 3:00 p.m. an it stay fly da way deh," Morgan said.
As for the price, he said, "Who a cry, no cry. The production is going to improve and improve and improve and in order to do that we have to have increase an' increase an' increase inna de money."
Leading up to December 25 there will be a series of 'Road to East Fest' previews at the Asylum Nightclub in New Kingston on Saturday nights. This weekend Sister Carol will be featured, followed by Jimmy Riley on December 4, Queen Ifrica on December 11 and Turbulance on December 18, the final Saturday in the series.
And Queen Ifrica, Natural Black, Fantan Mojah, Sister Carol and Natty King gave brief performances, which were still sufficient to give an indication of the high quality in store at Red Label Wine East Fest 2004.
