Clarendon, which produced several artists who figured prominently in the early years of Jamaican music, hosts the second Startime show of the year.
The event will be held at The Verandah, Clarendon Park, in May Pen on July 2. Headliners are the artists who performed on January’s pipe-opener at Mas Camp in Kingston. They are Marcia Griffiths, Leroy Sibbles, Errol Dunkley, Horace Andy, Dillinger, The Mighty Diamonds, Frankie Paul, and Johnny Clarke.
They are complemented by a ‘Clarendon Connection’ featuring homegrown acts Derrick Morgan, The Clarendonians and Freddie McGregor. Lloyd Parks And We The People are backing band.
Michael Barnett, co-promoter of the show, said it is critical Startime reaches fans outside of Kingston.“It is very important, as many parishioners keep hearing about Startime and have never been able to experience the concert because of the distance to Kingston. Taking it to Clarendon is bringing Startime closer to some of those prospective patrons,” he said.
Morgan, one of ska’s great exponents, was born in May Pen. He is one of many artists from the sugar-belt parish who had a massive impact on ska and rocksteady.
Millie Small of My Boy Lollipop fame, Toots Hibbert and The Clarendonians are also from Clarendon.
Barnett first staged Heineken Startime in June 1988 at the Oceana Hotel in downtown Kingston. With Keith Brown as his business partner, the show had a golden run throughout the 1990s when rocksteady enjoyed a revival.
He and businessman Charles Simms staged the Mas Camp gig in January.
The Jamaica Observer are associate sponsors of Startime.
— By Howard Campbell
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