On Night 4 of the Five-day Love and Harmony Cruise, Beres Hammond, backed by the Harmony House Band and award-winning reggae crooner Richie Stephens, brought fireworks and the perfect mix of reggae and love ballads that warmed the hearts of reggae music lovers who set sail on the sold-out 2025 cruise that some say may be the best yet, according to Jamaican entertainment publicist Anthony “ER Guru” Turner.
On Monday, New York-based Turner, who was one of 4,000 “harmonizers” aboard the Norwegian Joy, quoted Stephens as saying, “I am trying to get close to you,” as he enthusiastically greeted the crowd a few hours after the Norwegian Joy had set sail after an eight-hour layover in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
“It was an absolute pleasure to perform for fans on the same night as Beres Hammond,” Stephens shared with Caribbean Life after his scintillating performance.
“I must thank Beres, Joey Budafuco, Jabba, and the entire Love & Harmony crew for giving me this opportunity,” he added.
Turner said: “Everyone felt that Richie delivered a scintillating performance.
“From his opening song, ‘Trying To Get To You,’ that made way for ‘Let’s Drink,’ Stephens found his groove, connecting with patrons who sang and danced to hits ‘Color of Love,’ ‘Fight Back,‘ ‘Reverse The Curse‘ and Dennis Brown’s ‘Should I,‘” Turner said.
“Stephens then segued into the David Ruffin’s (Temptations) R&B cover ‘Statue of A Fool,‘ which was perfectly suited for his crisp baritone vocals,“ he added. “The cup came runneth over with ‘Heartbeat‘ that tugged on heartstrings.”
Turner said that the “Live Your Life“ singer dug deep into his four-decade-old musical archives.
“He delivered musical mayhem with Monty Morris’ 1964 ska hit ‘A Little More Oil‘ and Prince Buster’s ‘Wings Of A Dove,’ which made way for a piercing rendition of ‘Weakness for Sweetness,‘ before closing with an inspirational gospel medley that lifted spirits,“ Turner added.
Atlanta-based, Guyanese native Jacquline Barnes told Caribbean Life, “I loved Richie’s outfit! It shot!
“I was particularly impressed with his execution of ‘Stature of a Fool‘ and how he made it his own,“ she said. “I do hope he comes to Atlanta to perform soon.”
New Jersey-born Marie Morgan, a third-year ‘Harmonizer,‘ praised Stephens, saying, “I loved his outfit! He did well, crossing music genres with his awesome vocal talent.“
Jamaican comedian Lemon, who also performed on the cruise, was impressed as well, saying, “I had to come backstage to greet him and tell him how much I enjoyed his performance.
“It was extra, extra special,“ he told Caribbean Life.
Turner said: “More fireworks were still to come as the temperature on the Norwegian Joy spiked when Beres made his way on stage and belted out his 1970s R&B hit single ‘One Step Ahead.’
“Between songs like ‘Rockaway,‘ the singer thanked patrons for being a part of the Love & Harmony experience again,“ Turner said. “He upped the ante even more, mesmerizing fans with hits ‘Can’t Stop A Man from Trying,‘ ‘No Disrespect,‘ ‘Be There For You‘ and ‘Tempted To Touch.‘”
New York-based, Jamaican-born Natural Fountain Juices business entrepreneur Michael Williams told Caribbean Life that Hammond “proved once again that he is the ‘Boss‘ of lovers’ rock reggae.
“Beres was phenomenal! He delivered a once-in-a-lifetime performance,“ he said, adding, “What made this cruise extra special was that it featured other icons like Beenieman, Elephantman, Sanchez, Baby Cham, Bounty Killer, and Louie Culture.
“This is my second time on the cruise, and I took along my entire Outside Lounge party team to enjoy the vibes,“ Williams continued. “I will be back.”
