For those of you unfamiliar with the term MAVS, it’s an acronym that stands for Musicians, Artists, & Vocalists Showcase. It’s also an annual Bahamian Summer Festival which showcases the talents of local, up-and-coming stars.

And this year’s production certainly did not disappoint. Set in the very open yet, cozy Pompey Square, located in Downtown Nassau, tourists and natives alike gathered in anticipation for the lineup of showstopping performances.

Production

The setup for the festival was very well-executed to say the least. The stage area was neatly organized with the live band and back-up singers spaced comfortably apart from the main act, creating that authentic feel. As multi-colored lights shone with purpose, they zeroed in the audience’s focus on each performing act.

However, I must say that there was not enough lighting to accommodate visual artists who were still working on their live paintings after sunset.

For the average Joe, lack of lighting would prove major difficulty, especially when deciding between various shades and tones. However, the painters (most notably Justin Moultrie) remained unfazed and created beautiful works of art.

In terms of audio, there were times were vocalists would appear to be drowned out by the live instrumentation and backing vocals, possibly due to a low mic. Then again, this recurrence could have just been the result of nervousness from performers.

Videography on the other hand, was simply stellar. All of the wild and energized moments were instantaneously captured in real-time by the video and camera crew, whose ninja-like reflexes made me feel like I was witnessing a live reenactment of a Naruto Shippuden episode. Nevertheless, the production value of this event was a exceptional, despite minor hiccups.

Talent Pool

If there was one thing evident throughout the show, it’s that The Bahamas is not lacking in the talent department. The festival revealed the gifts and charisma of some 22 acts. From spoken-word to singing and songwriting to live painting to instrumentation to dance to rapping?!!!

Indeed, act after act gave their all in a sequence of energetic, wholesome, and entertaining performances. There were surprisingly very few snooze acts during the festival. Some of the standout acts would definitely have to be:

Marciano, who performed a crisp, semi-robotic, and awe-inspiring dance to a mash up of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Love’. He surely had the crowd searching for words to describe the accurate precision of his movements. It was a well-choreographed win. Check it out here.  (P.S. I do not own rights to this video.)

Another memorably pleasant performance was that of Alternative/Indie-Pop band Foreign Sound, who rocked the crowd with a clever mash-up of ‘Crazy’ by CeeLo Green and Adele’s ‘Rolling in Deep’. 

Their performance was not only sonically intriguing but, they got actual interaction from the audience. What especially marked them in my membrane was the screaming at the end of their performance. Normally such behavior would be considered annoying or crow-like but, it was appropriate and the power shut off temporarily immediately following the screamo-moment. Legendary.

Other noteworthy moments came from vocalists Marvincia, Rashad Cunningham, and Joel Sweeting, rappers The Art1st, Juu, and Tee-20. All in all, this year’s festival was surely serving talent in healthy proportions.

*MAVS 2018 Featured Artist*

Of all the talent oozing out of MAVS this year, my eyes were especially peeled to witness the musical stylings of this young lady,  Marvincia. This 20 year-old singer/songwriter was sleek, eloquent, and somewhat playful in her performance, winning audiences over with her opulent vocals and collected demeanor.

She performed a smooth, jazzy mashup of “Litte While” by Yellow Day and “Aerial” by Peyton. This deliberate choice in underground music may have struck the audience as a bit unusual at first, but that did not stop them from being pulled in by the magnetism of her showcase.

Even in the midst of battling the cold and sore throat, Marvincia (like the true artist that she is) was not dismayed while giving everything she had.  “Things feel brand-new when I’m with you” she sang fervently in the latter half, adding pep to her medley with some points at the crowd and sauntering.

She made it clear that she was having fun up there as was the crowd watching her. All in all, she is a natural talent and I highly doubt this will be the last time any of us hear of her brilliance.  See a snippet of her performance here.

In a nutshell, MAVS 2018 was an enjoyable experience. Being able to see such an eclectic group of young people display their gifts in a public setting sends a profound message of bravery to those who may be too afraid to place themselves in the forefront of reality.

Take it from someone who doesn’t enjoy a crowd or standing for too long, MAVS is an event worth attending and experiencing first-hand; it’s been in the game for 3 years now and the non-profit organization can only get better from here. I happily await what MAVS will bring in 2019.