3 months ago
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The fourth edition of the popular Bring Back the Love cabaret presentation will pay special tribute to its former musical director and drummer, Desi Jones, when it returns to its home at the New Kingston-based Courtleigh Auditorium on Saturday, April 26.
The entertainment community was shocked when the beloved musician passed away suddenly in 2024, shortly after he and his Skool Band gave a sterling performance at last year’s Bring Back the Love concert.
Desi Jones’ musical odyssey started well before his teen years, having initially played recorder and congas; he then moved to the drum set, while also playing trombone as a member of the Salvation Army band. He joined the Sonny Bradshaw Seven in 1976, gaining experience through regular gigs at multiple venues. In 1980, he became a founding member of the reggae group Chalice and recorded at least seven albums of original material with the group. His book The Art Of Reggae Drumming, listed as the world’s first instructional book on reggae drumming, was released in 1983.
Jones’s Skool band has toured boundlessly, and recorded with top acts, such as Jimmy Cliff, Barrington Levy, Mutabaruka and Marcia Griffiths, and was the house band for the Reggae Sunsplash tours of the USA and Japan, among others.
Promoters LDC Enterprises, hailing the late drummer said, “Desi was a monumental figure in the Bring Back the Love series, and, as with everyone, his passing is a massive loss to us. We take great pride in honouring him and his tremendous legacy, both to this event and to music as a whole.”
This year will again see the best of Jamaican and international performers such as the return of the vivacious diva Myrna Hague, as special guest, along with singer-instrumentalist Harold Davis and JUNO Award-nominated Canadian aggregation, Jason Wilson and Ashara, all of whom will honour Desi during their performances. Doing her usual entertaining MC duties will be Fae Ellington.
Patrons will be entertained by the award-winning Scottish-Canadian Jason Wilson’s Ashara band as they fuse Scottish folk, global roots, and reggae, delving into his family history in such a way that connects his present life to a very distant past. The group’s releases showcase not only Wilson’s stellar vocals and inimitable skill on acoustic guitar and piano, but also the leader’s innate aptitude for storytelling through poetic lyrics and beautiful imagery.
The show is under the patronage of former Prime Minister P J Patterson. It will commence with a sumptuous cocktail segment at 7 p.m. with show time starting promptly at 8 p.m. Part proceeds from the concert will benefit the MCCAM Child Care Development Centre, which has been offering educational services to special-needs children since 1986.
English (US) ·