Artistes, fans bring energy at Digicel’s birthday bash

From the ever-reliable Nokia 3310 to the era of being ‘boasy’ with the BlackBerry to current settings where the iPhone is the ideal, Digicel has been in the millennial mix of telecommunications in Jamaica. On Saturday, they said ‘Thank you’ to their legions of customers with a huge birthday bash held in front of their corporate headquarters in downtown Kingston and the masses came out to help them celebrate.

The heavy rains earlier in the day initially made things a bit dicey as people wondered if the event would be postponed. However, it turned out to be showers of blessings that endorsed the musical celebrations which went off smoothly. From early, there were several disc jockeys, including Crush, Nova, Liquid and Narity who were doing duties at the digital console, keeping the vibe flowing while the crowd steadily grew. Emcees Talia Soares-Brown and Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley were eager to reward the earlybirds with gifts, so for pre-paid customers, tonnes of free credit were given away to people who had steady hands and quick fingers.

Watching the proceedings unfold as customers eagerly competed for prizes, such as best dressed, best freestyle deejay, and for the person with the oldest phone that is still working, Digicel Group Chief Executive Officer, Marcelo Cataldo, told The Gleaner that it warmed his heart to see how the brand was welcomed into the hearts of Jamaicans across the island from day one.

“I am really proud of Digicel making it to 25 years. We started from zero, and now in the Caribbean region, we are in 25 countries with over 10 million customers so we are proud of what we have accomplished. We intend to keep connecting with our customers, and help them in their digital life, which is all a testament to how resilient we are and how close we are to our customers,” Cataldo said.

Onstage, the performances kicked off with former Digicel Rising Star winner Verlando Small, whose instrumental offerings included the silky strains of Loving You, I Wanna Know, and Best Part. The audience, especially the women, loved every note he delivered. He was followed by gospel artiste Jermaine Edwards, who came to anoint the crowd with songs, such as God is With Me and It’s a Beautiful Day, reminding the gathering that, at the end of the day, material things are not important, but one should ensure there is a good relationship with a higher power.

The most recent winner of the popular talent show Digicel Rising Star, which became iconic in its branding and mass appeal, was Akeen Fennel, and the ‘bearded one’ did not disappoint. Like any good crooner, he began with old school reggae hits like Miss You Now and Stuck on You before giving them an original song, It’s Over, which he said speaks to how some relationships can go sour, despite starting off strong and sweet. Backstage, he told The Gleaner that It’s Over is just one of many he will be compiling on a soon-to-be-released album.

“As the 2024 winner, you can expect great things from me, so I will give a mixture of oldies but goodies, plus some of Akeen original pieces to sweeten the deal. The originals are part of the album I’m working on and I can’t give much away right now, but if you appreciate quality, that is what I am about. So just look out for it and remember, don’t scream, just call Akeen in your dream,” Fennel said.

Ever a crowd-pleaser, Tessanne Chin went into her arsenal of hits including Messenger, Underneath it All and Hideaway before Chris Martin, easily one of the biggest stars who owes his career to the Rising Star platform, made an appearance and wowed the capacity crowd with Is This Love, Mama, Big Deal and I’m There. He brought on fellow Rising Star winner Romaine Virgo and the crowd loved the interaction between the duo.

Martin later shared with The Gleaner that as the second person to ever win the Digicel Rising Star competition, he had to return and show love to not only his fans, but the entity that took a chance on the little country boy from Back Pasture, St. Catherine.

“Tonight is about energy. Digicel is 25, so you know that a big vibes tonight. 2005 was my year, and it started and propelled my career, and catapulted me to nationwide stardom. So tonight we brought the energy and showed the people how much we’ve grown and matured in the music while still being humble and relevant.

“My new album is slated to hit soon and my fans should know it’s a solid body of work with a couple of special features. I don’t want to give away any surprises yet, but trust me, it will be worth the wait as I have really been putting in the work, so it’s very dear to me, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the masses,” an exuberant Martin said.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com