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Seven months after the passing of Desi Jones, artistes and patrons at the 30th anniversary celebration of Trafalgar Travel Limited paid tribute to the master musician, percussionist, bandleader, producer and educator. Jones, one of Jamaica’s most prominent musicians of the past half-century, first rose to national and international acclaim with the group Chalice. He passed away on May 11 at the age of 65.
After leaving Chalice, he formed the band, Skool. Outside of these mainstays, he was also known for his performances with Sonny Bradshaw’s Big Band and live shows across the island. He also played with many renowned Jamaican recording artistes and authored the instructional book, The Art of Reggae Drumming.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Ramone Bradshaw, chief business development officer, Trafalgar Travel Services, explained the reason for the tribute.
“We incorporated the Skool band because Desi Jones is usually a part of our celebration each year, so he was always with us during our significant [celebratory] years – five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years [and] 25 years. [Despite his unfortunate passing], we decided to continue on with our tradition of using his band to honour his legacy and contribution to music, and specifically to Reggae music.”Held in the Ballroom at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday night, the entertainment line-up featured Rhoda Isabella, who opened the event, followed by Luciano, Tanya Stephens, Marcia Griffiths and Desi Jones’ Skool Band.
Bradshaw shared that Marcia Griffiths made a surprise appearance, having collaborated with the Skool Band and Desi Jones before his passing.
“They have worked well with Desi Jones before, so they were also honouring him in being a part of our celebration,” he said.
Bradshaw also noted that the inclusion of music was based on Trafalgar’s co-founder Conrad Graham’s love for music.
“For each year [of] the celebration, we always incorporate music across different genres to reflect the musical eras of [our team at] Trafalgar. It’s a very diverse company, so we need diverse artistes, and this year’s line-up was no different.”
Dancehall artiste Valiant was also a surprise act of the night, catering to the younger audience.
For one attendee, Sean Morgan, he was excited for the surprise performances.
“I really enjoyed all the performances [with] my favourite being from Marcia and Luciano who knew how to get the crowd engaged with fan favourites. Everyone was singing along and without any backing track. That was the most impressive part for me. All very strong performers who have and continue to carry the banner for Jamaica very proudly, as Trafalgar Travel has, and will continue to do,” Morgan said.
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