Amid rumors that the main performing artiste would not be able to make an appearance, the much anticipated Polar Carifesta X Mega Concert got underway. This concert was promoted in the media, even prior to the start of CARIFESTA, as being the biggest concert to hit Guyana. There were also assurances made that an international artiste would be performing live. Though the concert was not as big as the promoters may have wanted it to be they were still able to live up to their promise and bring an international artiste. The length of time it took for the artiste to arrive however caused patrons to become frustrated and even angry.
The evening started out with some smooth juggling from the fusion family to get the crowd going. This was happening while the crowd was now building up. The rumors started when admission to the venue no longer required tickets. This caused may persons to wonder if Akon was still slated to perform or whether the promoters had duped them into buying large quantities of beer.
The live performances were kicked off by the Brutal Jammers band followed by the man with the Sophia story Ilaman. Gialiani was to follow with his hip hop styled performance. The Polar Ladies were to grace the stage with their presence, showcasing their polar outfits to the appreciative men in attendance.
The next string of performances was well received and consisted the likes of Jory and Celeste David. Giants of the Guyanese music industry First Born took to the stage and hyped the crowd with their 45 min performance. Every song selected by the group to perform was well received. This was not hard to imagine with hits such as “irits”, “headlines” and a much loved classic First Born track “how are we gonna survive”.
It was at this point in time the frustration stepped in and delay tactics were employed by the promoters. DJ green dongs of fusion audio did some more juggling, at this point it was already 01:30 hrs and there was no sign of the main guest artiste. Brutal jammers band took to the stage once again but this time frustration had turned to anger and bottles and cans of beer were sent flying from the crowd onto the stage. This prompted DJ Kerwin of Hits and Jams to come on stage in an effort to ease the tension building up in the crowd. He gave the crowd assurance that the artiste was in the country and would be making an appearance. He also stated that the president had given the promoters of the event an extension on the permit so as to allow the party to go until sunrise.
At approximately 03:05 hrs international recording artiste Akon took to the stage at the National Stadium Providence much to the delight of his loyal fans who stayed through the night to witness his performance. The 3am crowd that greeted the artiste was a fraction of the crowd that had gathered earlier in the evening, but he performed as if the place was packed to capacity. Those who persevered to witness his performance were not disappointed. He even went the extra mile of requesting the crowd to build a “unity bridge” for him to get from the main stage to a platform about 15 feet away. The aim was for the crowd to carry him across and take him back. This he did successfully despite some instances where he had to urge some members of the crowd not to pull him. Notwithstanding his previous experience in Guyana it was a courageous act on his part but much appreciated by his fans.
Despite the long wait and rumors fans were rewarded with a full hour’s performance by the artiste. Though there were dramatic segments during the event it would be fair to say the event was a success.