SATURDAY night’s Night of Legends concert proved to be just what the mature Guyanese crowd had been missing for some time.The Jubilee Festival event, held at the National Stadium, showcased a number of legendary local artistes, who invoked a sense of nostalgia with the revival of their own pieces as well as renditions of other popular oldies.

Like most events, the concert got off to a slow start, with a sparse crowd sitting sheltered beneath a tent being wary of the rain. But as each performance got underway, and with a little coaxing from host Bobby Vieira, the growing crowd eventually trickled out from beneath the tent to enjoy the increasingly entertaining performances in the open air of the tarmac. The atmosphere was so contagious that many couples could be seen waltzing from time to time.

Headlining the event with renditions of its well-known hits was the one and only Dave Martins and the Tradewinds group. Opening with ‘Honeymoon in June’, Dave Martins evoked peals of laughter from the crowd, and this was sustained during renditions of songs like ‘Cricket in the Jungle’ and ‘Boyhood days’. Of course the legendary ‘Not ah blade of grass’ was featured — a song which in this time of increased national pride has become immensely popular, even among the younger generation. In fact, the theme of Guyanese ownership of our land and our resources was reiterated by several other performers.

Minister of Tourism and Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, in brief remarks informed the public of several activities to come for the 50th Anniversary celebrations, and encouraged Guyanese to participate in as many of those activities as possible.

‘MUSIC AND MAGIC’
“Tonight we are celebrating the music and the magic that is this beautiful country of ours, so we are celebrating our birthday and we have a lot to be proud of, a lot that we have achieved,” Minister Hughes said.

Other local acts included the Yoruba Singers and Terri Gajraj, who were both warmly welcomed by the crowd. Artistes whose names have been heard in the arena of Guyanese entertainment for quite some time — like Sammy Baksh and the Mighty Rebel – also performed. Several of the performers included overseas-based Guyanese who are well known for their work abroad.