The rain came fast and hard; sent some scrambling for shelter, others opened their arms and let it pour down their face.

Calgary Reggae Festival headliner Beres Hammond – Jamaica’s legendary romantic reggae soul man – had what was left of the Calgary faithful in the palm of his hand as he energetically roamed the stage and invited the crowd up the steps of Mewata Field.

With the help of the rain he created a transcendental experience billed as a ‘Moment in Time’ as his soul-searching lyrics flew through his delicate, raspy, one-of-a-kind voice.

For the finale many of the day’s performers took the stage, including Lenya Wilks who traded equally heartbreaking soul harmonies with Hammond leaving the crowd in an emotionally soaked awe.

Yes, people were feelin’ irie at this year’s Reggae Fest.

The vendors were in no rush to pitch you a sale, the crowd was in no rush to see the next band – who were in no rush to take the stage, and the security guards were in no rush to let you know it was a non-smoking event.

Even the program said, “we go by island time when listing performance times.”

There’s healing power in those island baselines, and they certainly resonated with the laid-back, diverse crowd, who showed the love back.

One Love Calgary.

       

Written by :

Johnny Elbow