THE sun never truly set in the west as Spanish Town, in conjunction with Startime Productions and Ashley Redman, pulled off one of the biggest entertainment coups of the summer.

A show featuring the Skatalites and the Wailers at Snorkel Park did wonders for those seeking entertainment away from the post-Cup Match crowd at Wellington Oval in St. George's.

The reggae and ska heavyweights had the crowd up and dancing to a series of tunes that spanned almost three decades. The Skatalites opened the evening's entertainment with , which was fitting with the Emancipation holiday in full swing.

We saw Lloyd Knibb, Doreen Shaeffer, Lester (Ska) Sterling, Karl (Cannonball) Bryan, Vin Gordon, Devon James, Ken Stewart, Kevin Batchelor and Val Douglas, who replaced bassist Lloyd Brevett in the 2005 line-up. With some band members well over 60 years of age, the Skatalites are more than just a living legend ? they're a real-life embodiment of music.

Mr. Douglas is a phenomenal Jamaican musician who has played on numerous sessions and his famous A-Team band was the primary backing band for Reggae Sunsplash Tours through the 1980s and '90s.

The Skatalites continue to consist of the top musicians in their genre, as they have for the past four decades. Reeling off a string of hits, the Skatalites showed not only do they have drawing power, but staying power as well!

The Wailers had their work cut out for them as they took to the stage and reeled off a string of the original Wailer hits, including and .

Lead singer Gary Pine helped to keep the mood upbeat and even sang a little a cappella during the brief lull between songs and backing vocalists Marsha Scott-Hines and Roxanne Prince-Lambie helped to 'sweeten the pot'. The line-up would not have been complete without Aston (Familyman) Barrett.

Barrett precociously selected his nickname 'Familyman' during his early teenage years; it continues to be an apt description of the guidance and nurturing he has contributed to the development of reggae music.

"It's a name of responsibility," Familyman was once quoted as saying, "because I keep the music together."

This was evident during the jam session where local artists had chance to share the stage with their idols. The Wailers and Skatalites joined each other on stage and jammed 'old-school' fashion, opening with the Skatalites tune . The local artists who enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame were reggae artists 'Butler', 'Flookie' and Jahstice's lead vocalist 'Sissy'.

Those present were thrilled to be able to talk with the band members after the show and gushed at how accessible they were.

Zeb, the Wailers' drummer, was over the moon with the locals' hospitality. "It was an honour for me to play with the Wailers when I first hooked up with them in the US, but it is truly an honour for me to play for the Bermudians. This is my first time here but definitely not my last ? I can hardly wait to return. We have up our web site, wailers.com and it would be great for the Bermudians to send in their comments to us."

Equally elated were the Wailers' backing vocalists, who took time out to pose for the camera and mingle with the fans.

Vocalist Marsha said: "We had a great time performing here and I would like to give a special thanks to all of the taxi drivers and Nicole Famous for taking care of us." Skatalites trumpeter Kevin Batchelor also sang his praises over performing in Bermuda: "It's a blast coming here.

" I'm from New York and playing with the Skatalites is more than a lesson in music being with them ? it is like being in university! But performing here has been a great experience for me."