Celebration the theme as 21st Caribana ends on a high

Kool and the Gang bring the festival to a fitting close.

Grand Scène

Kool and the Gang

Highlights: The veterans belied their advancing years with a high-energy infectious set…The original kings of pop served up a cover of Michael Jackson's Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough first up and followed it up with their own classic Fresh…Things got smoother mid-set with Joanna and Too Hot…Dancing in formation like a freshly-minted boy band, there was also plenty of great musicianship on show…and the New Jersey legends finished the festival on a high with the bone fide classics Ladies' Night and Celebration.
In a tweet: Celebration at Caribana with the original r n'b band.

Abd al Malik

Highlights: For this writer - not at all familiar with his work - the French-Congolese performer provided the most pleasant surprise of the festival, with a crowd-pleasing and thought-provoking set…Backed by a tight band and backing singers, he delivered a mixture of slam, spoken word, poetry and rap to a large and receptive crowd - even throwing on some distinctive dancing…His delivery of Soldat de Plomb was spine-tingling and silenced the crowd in the best possible way and his craft was shown as he immediately followed it up with a raucous Rock the Planet.
In a Tweet: Superbly entertaining and inspirational.

Julian Marley

Highlights: The famous son again showed that he is a talent in his own right with an energetic performance that got a big early crowd going for the evening…Lion in the Morning showcased his own style while his covers of Stir It Up, Get Up Stand Up and Exodus were expert interpretations.
In a Tweet: Julian made Caribana's regular reggae slot shine.

Out and about

Saint-Andre started the final night as he showcased his great voice and versatile musical ability…Medi, meanwhile, clad in spray-on jeans for a double denim look, attracted a huge crowd and kept it enthralled with his raspy vocals and ability to expertly hop from instrument to instrument…Meanwhile, the mellifluous voice of Jailyna was perfect for the Scène de la Plage, where later Ben Howard - with the lake and Alps behind him and the stage - won over a capacity crowd with his superb vocals and distinctive guitar-playing style. I Blame Coco was the popular final act on the Scène du Lac, delivering a confident set of modern electronica including the stomping Self Machine, a cover of The Chain from Fleetwood Mac and set closer Caesar, which saw her reach into the crowd.