One of Jamaica’s more enduring popular band Third World celebrated their 45th year in the entertainment industry at what some fans termed “an extraordinary performance” on Saturday, December 29 at the Liguanea Golf Academy in New Kingston, Jamaica.
Build as “Third World and Friends” the show exuded professionalism, creativity and the high quality of Jamaica’s musical culture
Obviously, the promoters of the show placed significant emphasis on pleasing Third World fans with a superb production, including the design of the stage
The stage featured doors on either side and during the show the MC’s, Jamaican radio personalities Nikki Z and Rodney Campbell, welcome the performers by opening the doors to welcome the musical friends on stage.
But the focus was on Third World, who after 45 years from their first performance at the Ranny Williams Center on Hope Road in 1973 seemed not to have missed a beat. The band thrilled the audience with perennial hits like Try Jah Love, Committed, Always Around, 96 Degrees in the Shade, Sense of Purpose, Now That We’ve Found Love. The original recordings of most of these hits featured the late Bunny Rugs, but popular Jamaican singer AJ Brown was an ample replacement at the show.
The ‘Friends’ of Third World appearing in the show included Naomi Cowan; rising Stars winning trio One Third; Sevana, Billy Mystic, and another perennial favorite for Jamaicans, King Yellowman, who was dressed as a soldier. Yellowman immediately sent the audience roaring with his hits including I’m Getting Married, Blueberry Hill and Zungguzungguguzungguzeng. Additional welcomed friends included Big Youth, Queen Ifrica, Tessanne Chin, Toots Hibbert, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, and Wayne Marshall, and Shaggy. However, the best friend of all, and a surprise to the fan, was the appearance through one of the stage doors of Damion “Junior Gong” Marley who also thrilled the audience with hits like Welcome to Jamrock, and a new hit called Medication in reference to the virtues of marijuana.
