JaRIA’s Resilient Praise lifts the spirits of Gen Z

Generation Z and millennials, many of them dressed in white, descended on the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts on Ash Wednesday for Reggae Wednesdays Resilient Praise, staged by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA). It was the third in the annual Reggae Month series and the best attended one in Kingston so far.

A mix of some of the biggest names in gospel music, as well as up-and-coming acts were present, and the list was long. Among them were closing act, Lubert Levy, Rian Davis, Alicia Taylor, Audia Spencer-Brown, Johnmark Wiggan, Threwth, Lushane Black, Da’Levite, Treze-Gay Smith, Jodi-Ann Myers, Geordine Reid-Gayle, Osheen Wright, Joraine Wiggan and Laud Dance Ministry. The performances were grand and very well received, with attendees dancing and singing in fulsome praise and worship each time a new act took centrestage. But, truth be told, these worshippers were so in tune with the spirit – and it had nothing to do with the spirit of a different kind poured out at the booth set up by title sponsor, Wray of Nephew – that they needed nothing more than a beat to get their praise going.

After closing act Lubert Levy exited and emcee Nadine Blair attempted to wrap up, she had to press pause because they simply kept singing on and on, standing, some with hands raised, eyes closed, swaying as they exchanged the uptempo beats that many of the artistes had favoured for a more soothing, worship session. Blair moved with the flow and raised the songs that fit the mood – Name Above All Names, Bless the Lord O My Soul, Be Exalted O Lord, The Angels Cry Holy, and We lift Your Name on High. It was a night when, at the end, the audience literally took the show and ran with it.

JaRIA chairman, Ewan Simpson, and his team were delighted with the outcome.

“It was a beautiful evening of worship in our own language ... in our own music, and our own music is reggae and more. It was great to see so many young people who clearly want an opportunity to express themselves in what is Jamaican and express themselves in what is spiritual. It is not true that our young people are all lost. So, it is good that we could bring them out,” Simpson told The Gleaner.

For him, there were several high points during the session, one of which was the performance by Johnmark Wiggan, who was boisterously welcomed by the crowd and gave a high-energy performance.

“When he came on the JaRIA stage for the first time, nobody knew him ... and to see him being one of the more-well-received artistes here, because he is one of the leading gospel acts now .... and he’s back here to share the worship. And, of course, Lubert Levy was excellent to close ... and the instinctive walk-up of Nickette Morgan-Williams, who was not on the bill, but was here for the worship experience and just came up at the end to help close out the evening. That was beautiful,” Simpson said.

The previous week, JaRIA travelled to St James to host Reggae Wednesdays at Coral Cliff, in a tribute to the late Jimmy Cliff.

“That tribute was excellent. Two of Jimmy Cliff’s daughters, Sana and Safa were there, Maxi Priest was in the house, Peter Lloyd was in the house ... we had JC Lodge closing and every artiste did a tribute to Jimmy Cliff. It was an amazing, full house at Coral Cliff.

This Wednesday the curtains come down with Bands Rewind at the same venue. All the bands will do tributes in their sets, and D’Kru will do a full tribute to Sly Dunbar, a plan which was conceptualised before Sly’s passing.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com