Third World (To Gina With Love)

The Reggae Ambassadors Celebrates Gina Jarrett Alder.

“To Gina With Love”

I grew up in Ocho Rios Jamaica, a tourist town with a thriving music scene, thanks to not only the legendary Jack Ruby, but because the many hotels and resorts made it a stop for some of the Islands finest musicians. I remember vividly one summer evening, the sound that permeated through the air and sought me like a musical aroma. It was an oxymoron of sorts, a sound, that was foreignly familiar, an international sound, but a Reggae groove. A groove that made an 8 year old boy fall in love with the music.

“People need Hope. Music is what heals the soul and we can’t take it lightly, each musician has to realize they have a job, and a very important job. Whatever they say can be positive or negative and can affect people in that way. So we have to be careful what we say and how we say it, because we cannot take it back. Musicians are special people, our job is to entertain, for those who are creators, it is to create music that gives you a chance to be transported to somewhere heavenly, a place where you can find comfort, a place where you can see hope”

(William Stewart)

Todays performance is about family

32 years later and having seen “Third World” perform many times, hearing the remarkable vocals of the late Mr William “Bunny Rugs” Clarke, having shared the stage with Mr Willie Stewart, Mr Richie Daley, Mr Ibo Cooper, Mr Prilly Hamilton and the Late Mr Irivin “Carrott” Jarrett, I’m about to see another “Third World” show.

Since the passing of Bunny Rugs, the band now with Mr AJ Brown as the front man, and the familiar faces of Mr Stephen “Cat” Coore and Mr Richard Daley continues to perform those familiar songs for the fans, but today’s performance is about family.

Todays show at The Reign in Pembroke Pines is to raise funds for Mrs Gina Jarrett Alder, the former wife of Carrott Jarrett and still family of the band members, past and present. Hips are swaying, cameras are recording and the energy in the room is electric. This sounds like the CD’s I have at home. There’s love on the stage and smiles on the faces of everyone in the building. When the last note was played and AJ said “thank you” all were satisfied, including me a lifelong fan. As I walked through the building, the words I kept hearing were “Wow”, “Nostalgic”, “Amazing”, “Reunion”, “Love” and “Authentic” and for those who said nothing, the tears spoke volumes. As for me, I was once more an 8 year old boy, falling in love with the music all over again.

By G Cole.