Griffiths and Third World headline Mother’s Day gala at AC Hotel Kingston

Mothers were the guests of honour at To Mom With Love, held last Sunday in the ballroom of AC Hotel Kingston. The Mother’s Day programme ran two performances; the matinee drew fewer patrons than promoters had hoped, but the night show sold out for a bill that featured Robert Minott, Nestor, Glenn Jones, Kumar—who shared the stage with Third World—and The Super Band under Grub Cooper.

Marcia Griffiths held the crowd from the first note. She worked through staples including Dreamland, I Shall Sing, Fire Burning and Land of Love, and turned to covers such as Cilla Black’s Conversation, Dionne Warwick’s Don’t Make Me Over, and Young, Gifted And Black, her 1970 recording with Bob Andy of Nina Simone’s song. Feel Like Jumping, a 1960s favourite, rolled into Electric Boogie, the high-energy number she often uses to close. Several fans climbed on stage to dance with her. After a 45-minute set, organisers handed Griffiths an award saluting a career that began in the early 1960s.

Glenn Jones came before the headliners with a steady set built around songs such as We’ve Only Just Begun and Show Me. Third World followed with an hour of reggae staples, among them Now That We Found Love, Reggae Ambassador, Sense of Purpose, 96 Degrees in The Shade, and Always Around, where lead vocalist A J Brown was joined by his wife Tamara. Brown then sang Time to Say Goodbye, the Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman duet, alone; the performance earned a standing ovation and set up Try Jah Love and Jimmy Cliff’s We All Are One, which ended a strong night of music.