Camana Bay was rocked to its foundations on Saturday night as local and international artists wowed the crowds at the fourth annual Capella music festival.
A star-studded line-up, including Nailah Blackman, Gramps Morgan, DJ Puffy, Clean Bandit and Ashanti, lit up the Main Stage throughout the afternoon and late into the night, providing beats and strong vocal performances against a visually stunning backdrop of videos and graphic art.
Away from the Main Stage performances, the visual and audio feast continued with country music at Moonshine Saloon and DJ sets at the Supernova sound stage, with musical performances interspersed with interactive fun for festival goers, including karaoke, line dancing, a rodeo bull and impromptu contests on the dance floor.
The event, held in Canama Bay’s Festival Green, opened at midday, but the crowds didn’t start arriving until later in the afternoon – no doubt to avoid the heat of the day.
- Advertisement -
Festival vibes
That didn’t stop early festival-goers from enjoying musical performances from a variety of artists, such as vocalist and guitarist Dan Ebanks, and James Munro Jr on steelpan, while thoughtful touches provided by the organisers such as free water coolers and sun cream made for a chilled festival vibe in spite of the rocketing temperatures.
Breaking her leg playing football didn’t deter Danielle Browne from enjoying her first Capella experience, as she and her partner, Andy McLean, soaked up the sunshine and a cold beer during Ebanks’ set.
“I’m really looking forward to Ashanti,” she told the Compass, “although I’m not sure I’m going to be getting up and dancing with this cast on!”
Enjoying the shade in one of two VIP enclosures was Capella super-fan Leyla Jackson, who has been to every Capella since the event launched, and makes sure she gets an early-bird discount to minimise the cost.
“It’s a really cool vibe and with all the different acts, there’s something for everyone,” she said. “Nailah Blackman will be my favourite tonight I think, because I really like soca [calypso] music.”
She wasn’t the only one, as Trinidadian singer and songwriter Nailah Blackman arrived on stage to a roar from the waiting crowd, who loved every moment of her effervescent, high-energy set. The soca-star even invited a member of the crowd to join her on stage to show off some impressive dance skills. Blackman charmed the crowd by saying she was going to make the Cayman Islands “her second home”.
As night fell, Jamaican music legend Gramps Morgan took to the stage to kickstart 90 memorable minutes of reggae, delivering hit after hit, including ‘One in A Million,’ ‘Down by the River,’ and ‘Runaway Bay’, and introducing Jamaican-American singer Alaine and Grammy-nominated Jamaican reggae musician Ky-Mani Marley to the stage.
Alaine told the crowd that she quit her job in investment banking 20 years ago to pursue a musical career, despite people advising her not to take the risk, and has never looked back.
“Do you believe in dreams tonight, Cayman?” she asked, as the crowd roared back its approval.
As the evening turned into night, there was an influx of political candidates into the VIP area, with the likes of Kenneth Bryan, Donna Bush and Jay Ebanks enjoying the music alongside Governor Jane Owen.
It was time to turn the musical dial up with storming sets from a succession of stars, with DJ Puffy, Clean Bandit, Rion Kirk and Grammy award-winning American singer and songwriter Ashanti setting Festival Green alight.
From DJ Puffy causing an impromptu rain shower by telling the crowd to “throw the water now!” to Ashanti, resplendent in pink, shouting “Cayman, let me hear you!”, it was another decibel-busting year for Capella.
Capella Star – Leah GC
Among the local performances of the festival was Capella Star’s first place Caymanian winner Aleah Copeland, whose artist name is Leah GC, who took to the mainstage to perform a few original songs.
Following a public voting period held in March, Leah GC was announced as the winner, beating four other artists in the singing competition for the chance to shine alongside the international artists of the night.
The up-and-coming star, who fuses island rhythms with deep, relatable storytelling, told the Compass after the festival performance, “I’m super excited that I won it this year. It was absolutely amazing … the experience from winning to the Soundbites dinner to being able to meet some of the artists, it was just literally a dream come true.”
Copeland said, “I’m truly grateful because it has already opened up so many doors for me. I’ve been doing music for years, but with doing Capella, this actually created the platform for me to reach more people who didn’t even know that I was doing music. I’m grateful to the Capella team.”
Copeland added, “I look forward to more shows and pushing out more videos. I’m looking forward to networking and collaborating with other artists.”
Curating a diverse lineup
When it comes to the success of the festival each year, festival director Kenny Rankin told the Compass that it stems mostly from the support of local sponsors and vendors, as well as the attendees.
“Without them, it would be impossible to grow. Each year, we focus on curating a diverse lineup of exceptional talent that spans genres and celebrates both emerging and established artists and we believe that attendees leave being a fan of an artist they didn’t know before Capella,” Rankin said. “Our supporting sponsors and vendors are the ones that add the life to the festival experience our attendees enjoy.
“We’ve built a reputation for presenting performances that are not only of the highest artistic quality but also incredibly engaging. Our dedicated team works tirelessly to ensure that everything – from the festival’s programming to the venue’s atmosphere – is designed to foster a sense of community and connection.”
Another key to the festival’s growth, Rankin said, is the strong relationships built with the audience, artists, and local partners.
“We listen closely to feedback and continually evolve based on the needs and desires of our community.”
– Additional reporting by Shanda Gallego
