I got the opportunity to have a private concert by the cream of the crop – the older boys band. Typically for a bunch of 16 year olds, they had two personalities: one for the adults and one for themselves. When they talked to me they were excessively polite not to mention painfully shy – I don’t think a single one of them made eye contact with me throughout their performance. As soon as they had to talk to each other however, they were brash and strikingly direct in their criticisms of each others’ performances. The drummer was apparently below par – ‘im new sa’: not only did he have to undergo the humiliation of listening to the band leader apologise profusely (and largely unnecessarily, as far as my tone-deaf ears were concerned) for his performance, he was promptly replaced by a drum beat on the electronic keyboard and ordered to cease shuffling in the background, so as not to distract the others.
When all was said and done, however, the music was sublime. The song that made my heart open up was their version of ‘Jamaica Farewell’, a song that is so wonderful that (a bit like ‘I’ve Got Rhythm’) it seems to sounds brilliant no matter who performs it. That’s not to downplay the wonderful performance that the Alpha Boys Band gave. As I listened to it, I had that (by now familiar) feeling of complete and utter happiness that made me want to never leave Jamaica…
Down the way
Where the nights so gay
And the sun shine daily on a mountaintop
I took a trip on a sailing ship
But when I reach Jamaica
I made a stop
Sad to say, I’m on my way
I won’t be back for many a days
My heart is down
My head is turning around
I had to leave a lickle girl in a Kingston town
….I must declare my heart is there
Though I’ve been from Maine to Mexico...
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