BASSETERRE, St.Kitts, June 20th 2011 - The St.Kitts Music festival which takes place from June 23rd to June 25th , is this year celebrating it’s 15th edition of the Caribbean's marquis annual summer music festival. It has grown over the years to be one of the premier festivals not only in the Caribbean region but the world.
The festival has featured some of the most revered and popular acts in the history of music including Kenny Rogers, Wyclef Jean, Cece Winans, Dione Warwick, Kool and the Gang, Air Supply, Buju Banton, Machel Montano, Beres Hammond, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris , Maxi Preist, Dennis Browne, Bunny Wailer, Culture, Steel Pulse, Akon, Chris Browne just to name a few. Over the years the festival has seen many memorable performances from DMX’ infamous 2003 performance which caught worldwide attention to King Ellie Matt’s much talked about performance in 2010.
In recognition of the 15th anniversary of the St.Kitts Music Festival the SKNTimes has compiled its list of the 15 best and or most memorable performances of the festival's 15 year history. The list was compiled by the editors of the SKNTimes along with input from a number of readers and followers of SKNTimes, local music festival fans and observers. The list simply highlights the performances that the SKNTimes deem as the best and most memorable .
1- Beres Hammond 1999- Beres gave easily his most memorable performance of his many appearances in St.Kitts at the 1999 music festival. He performed backed by his Gumption Band and the performance spurred what can only be described as the St.Kitts obsession woth Beres Hammond who since then has performed many times as part of the festival as well as local events including political campaigns. He is probably the most popular music festival performer.
2- Wyclef 2005- Wyclef was simply outstanding. His interaction with the musicfest audience was unlike anything that had been seen on the fest before and his knowledge of even local music and happenings endeared him to the crowd. He mostly selected tunes that his dj played and actually sang limitedly except for his big hit at the time “ L.O.V.E”
3- Nu-Vybes Band International’ 1996 performance at the fort Thomas hotel. The band was the first act to perform on the festival and the performance was memoerable not only for that fact but for the fact that the band instantly raised the standard of local band performances . They proved that a local band could perform on the same level with any regional band.
4- Roy Cape Band featuring Nigel Lewis,1996 – Who can forget the thousands at Fort Thomas Hotel Grounds moving from left to right. It was nothing like had eveer been seen or experienced by many locals before.
5- DMX- 2003: DMX gave an exciting, thrilling and of course controversial performance at the 2003 musicfest. The night of his performance saw one of the largest crowds for any musicfestival night and he delivered giving a very memorable 2 hour 90 minute performance which concluded with his backstage arrest for the use of profanity during his performance. The incident made international news and was covered by BET and many other well known news outlets.
6- Kool and the Gang 1998- Kool and the Gang had the musicfest crowd singing and dancing to their many hits and they began the very successful trend of old school acts on the fest.
7- Elephant MAN 2003- Who can forget Elephant Man performing from on top of the speakers and a container situated at the southern end of the grounds.
8- Dennis Browne 1998- Reggae Icon gave a very memorable perfomace at the music festival in 1998 exactly one year before his untimely passing. He performed in the pouring rain that year but that did not deter the thousands of fans from rockig and grooving to the crown prince of reggae.
9- Dru Hill 1999- Dru Hill was the first act to bring a performance that literally transformed the music festival stage. Filled with some pyrotechnics, fireworks, explosions , special effects the Dru Hill brought a truly international performance to St.Kitts.
10-Beenie Man 1999- Beenie Man gave a splendid performance during the 2000 music festival which was held as part of CARIFESTA. Beenie Man sang, tap danced, bogled, cracked jokes through his scintilliating 2 hour long performance.
11-Kenny Rogers 2005- Kenny Rogers was the first country superstar to grace the music festival stage and he performed like the legend he is. He interacted superbly with the crowd and the thousands sang every song with him word for word.
12-Akon- 2006: Akon’s performance was very similar to Wyclef’s the year before. It was just as exciting and interactive. Akon dove into the crowd at one time much to the delight of the thousands of fans at Warner Park. This was the first year that the fest moved to Warner Park.
13-King Ellie Matt 2010- Despite the absence of his world famous GI’s Brass and singing partly on tracks and mostly accapella Ellie Matt gave easily one of the most memorable performances of the fest. Despite not having a band the crowd were not deterred or disappointed. They sang with the maestro on his classic hits and everyone left satisfied as they had seen their calypso icon. The absence of a band did not matter to anyone .
14-Infamus 2010-Infamus’ performance was one of the most anticipated performances in the history of the fest. He was a local act that was on the verge of international stardom. He did not disappoint. Backed by d’vybz band Infamus gave a spectacular performance which signaled and confirmed his spot as the premier act in st.kitts-nevis.
15-Buju Banton 2004: Buju was typical buju. Energetic and exciting. The crowd sang alogn with him for all of his scores of big hits. He interacted well with the crowd and performed for 90 minutes and seemed to enjoy every second.
Honorable Mentions:
Crucial Bankie- 2002
Machel Montano-1998
Shaggy- 2003
Busta Rhymes-2004
Bunny Wailer-2000
Beenie Man-2000
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