Kingston Gets Lost In Time

Lost in time, Present in the moment.

Amazing, amazing I am sure there are more adjectives that can describe Protoje’s Lost In Time festival but amazing is the only one my overloaded brain can squeak out.

Festivals of grandeur such as Coachchella, AfroPunk are all foreign concepts to Jamaicans as we have only heard people outside of the island speak of it but seeing the same quality execution brought to our local shores was certainly something else. Walking into the Lost In Time festival, the scene at the entrance embraced you as the brilliantly designed architecture, with the special emphasis on art, stood regally and welcomed you into a place fit for kings and queens.

The venue was expansive as it needed to be, fitting all that talent, the patrons, the different booths and most importantly all that food – space was needed. Equipped with a pair of New Balances on my feet, I made my way around the ground absorbing as much of the event as possible. There were quite a number of booths that catered to the different needs of a diverse crowd, such as the Tetley booth that sponsored the, what i consider, elite ginger tea to ward off any bout of gas that might attack, sunshine snacks with treats filled with delight, food trucks with such a large variety I thought I was within Sovereign Mall’s food court. These elements were built with patrons in mind as they were accessible and well staffed to deal with what became a sizable crowd.

There were two stages, the new wave stage and the main stage. Both displayed some of the best talents that Jamaica has to offer. Artistes such as Yaadcore, Jaz Elise, Tesselated and the Kingman himself Ras-I who all captured hearts and minds with their elite performances.

The mainstage was star studded as well, as Lila Ike or better yet ‘Wurl Ike’ all reminded those present that she is her. Her masterful presence on stage, teamed with modish wardrobe options and a multitude of hit songs had the festival in awe and amazement.

The soulful crooner himself Mortimer was no slouch as his sultry voice had the ladies in a tizzy and the men jealous as he soothed many a woman. His hit song ‘Lightning’, struck about all over the venue disproving, in this instance, the theory that it doesn’t strike at the same place.

Jesse Royal was stylish himself, reggae’s dapper dan in a red suit fit for an emperor. His caliber of music was indeed powerful as he pulled out no stops in showcasing his musical prowess. His smash hit featuring the legend, Vybz Kartel, ‘Rich Forever’ garnered a multitude of pull ups, countless blanks and deafening screams. Jesse Royal was indeed king-like in appearance and his decree came to pass that everyone must have an evening to remember.

The man himself Protoje walked onto stage with a swag and calmness representing a man who has done it all and is still doing it. Reeling off hits after hits, he was in his Creed bag as hard-hitting songs had the audience bobbing right and left. Completing his set, by calling up acts such as Chronixx, Aidonia elevated the energy in Hope Gardens to astronomical heights.