BCC Students Shine in Darren Massiah’s Jazz Showcase at CARIFESTA XV

A lunchtime crowd at the Grand Market & Village was swept away by the smooth sounds of the Darren Massiah Ensemble, as Barbados Community College (BCC) students delivered a lively, multilingual jazz set that had the audience clapping and swaying from start to finish.

The thirty-minute lunchtime performance had the crowd tapping their feet and nodding along to the music. They clapped enthusiastically after each song. With six songs performed in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, they catered to more than just the English-speaking members of the audience.

Darren Massiah, a guitarist, keyboardist, music arranger, and music and Portuguese tutor for a decade at BCC, led the group and played acoustic guitar. With him were his students, Adariah Walcott, Amani McDonald, and Shalisha Taylor, as well as instrumentalists Dominic Garner on bass and Kristian Sealy on drums.

The set opened with “Straight, No Chaser” by Thelonious Monk, sung by Adariah Walcott. This song set high expectations for the rest of the performance for both the singers and instrumentalists.

Following the strong opening was the jazz and pop song “Cry Me a River” by Ella Fitzgerald, sung by Shalisha Taylor. Taylor, who grew up singing in church, showcased her impressive vocal range. Her voice captivated the crowd with just a couple of musical notes.

Next up was a Spanish song titled “Al fin amor” by Sexto Sentido, and it translates to “At last love.” It was sung by all the singers. The voices of the singers blended with perfect harmony that left the crowd amazed.

The fourth song in the performance, “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, was sung by Walcott. She captured the tone of the song perfectly and delivered it exactly so.

The fifth song of the set featured McDonald, who performed a popular jazz song, “My Funny Valentine” by Frank Sinatra, he had the crowd swaying in their seats with his performance.

The performance ended on a high note with the Portuguese song “Chega De Saudade” by Antônio Carlos Jobim, sung by Walcott with a solo on the guitar by Massiah. The song translates to “Enough longing” or “No More Blues.”

Written by:

Victoria Boyce

Youth Correspondent - CARIFESTA XV