The forecast was true.
Rain or no rain, Barbadians would turn out for what organizers of the event dubbed the “greatest reggae show on earth”.
Yesterday’s Reggae On The Hill marked the final show in the Barbados Reggae Festival, and despite intermittent, and sometimes torrential rain, Barbadians and visitors alike came out in their thousands to the popular Farley Hill National Park, where they soaked up the sweet singing and performances of just over two dozen performers.
Co-organizer of the festival, Al Gilkes, told the DAILY NATION: “Barbadians did anticipate that there would be some amount of rain this time of the year so it is nothing unusual. They were prepared for it.”
He added that although organizers expected “more than the average 10 000” patrons, they knew the attendance would not compare with the very first show that was held nine years ago, also amid showers.
“In terms of Reggae On The Beach, it was about the same size in terms of numbers that we had last year. The Vintage was a surprise of the season.
It was beyond expectations. The quality of the show people have been giving us tons of praise for. The numbers also exceeded expectations; it was almost twice as large as the previous years,” he said.
The playing of the National Anthem signalled the official start of yesterday’s show, which saw a number of local acts, including Indra, LRG, Albert Olton, Supafrost, and Brimstone, all backed by the band Hygraid.
The hyped crowd waved their flags, screamed and sang along as each performer took to the stage. And each time the rain came, the umbrellas went up.
The local acts were followed by the highly anticipated Jamaican line-up, which included Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Admiral Tibet and Bushman – and they did not disappoint.
Vendors were out in their numbers with items ranging from food to umbrellas and flags.
A check with police officers on location indicated an incident-free event.
