Michael Remembered in Tribute

The elegant Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel was the scene of a saccharine sweet tribute to the late Michael Jackson on Saturday night. Jackson passed with absolutely no warning in the summer of 2009, leaving millions of fans mourning, reflecting and remembering just how great he was in life.

There are few people on earth who never heard of Michael Jackson and countless thousands who have lived their entire lives to the rhythm of his magnificent musical catalogue.

That very catalogue was employed to full effect in the beautiful Princess Room on Saturday evening. DJ Malcolm "Lethal Weapon" Smith and international disc spinner DJ Cavon kept the vibes very "Jacko" to the utter delight of the 100 or so fans who made the scene early enough to catch the wonderful live acts.

There was no stage show per se but tributes to Michael were delivered on and around the dance floor (is there anywhere more appropriate?). The only complaint this set-up created was that the lighting was not properly rendered. There was some ambient lighting, but a single spotlight would have been nice.

This was only a minor problem though, as each dance move was quite discernible in the dusk-like setting; somewhat akin to the Smooth Criminal video (or maybe Billie Jean Thriller? Beat It?).

You know what? Scratch that complaint; Michael himself made dancing in the dark famous! The live performances were introduced by the legendary Big Daddy Gates, who has been away for a while, but was as sharp as ever on Saturday night.

Rising star Amy Bento opened the live set with a stirring rendition of the MJ classic "Beat It". Amy delivered an impassioned performance, opening with the declaration: "I am the biggest Michael Jackson fan ever!" — an assertion that was met with numerous playful scoffs from the audience.

Indeed, everyone in attendance probably felt the same way about themselves.

Next up was Liz Pimental's In Motion School of Dance, with their adorable interpretation of the universally popular "Thriller" choreography.

These little ladies were as on point as ever, portraying dancing zombies with considerable skill and precision. They even fell down in rhythm! Well done, ladies. The dancing continued (as is proper at a Michael Jackson tribute) with elementary school student Micah Corea, who ripped through a scorching performance of the famous "Billie Jean" choreography (complete with moon walk and hat toss!).

Micah donned the celebrated all-black-with-white-T-shirt costume, and hit every notable detail in the beloved dance routine. The crowd was quite appreciative of the youngster's effort, and there was more to appreciate ahead. Next up was Duvaghn Signor; a young man with Down syndrome who grew up loving Michael Jackson and was determined to pay tribute to him at this event.

Duvaghn's tribute took the form of the "Billie Jean" choreography as well, and was a very touching, emotional experience for him, and the audience alike. Well done Duvaghn! The final dance tribute came from the pint-sized Reza Suhartono; a tiny little man who wowed the crowd with a spectacular delivery of the sizzling "Smooth Criminal" choreography.

Reza was decked out in the instantly recognisable all-white-suit-with-light-blue-shirt-and-white-hat; a costume made famous many, many years before he was born.

Reza was good, and the audience certainly enjoyed his effort, but the real emotional gravitas came when Reza spoke of his love for Michael, and we all realised that Michael Jackson will continue to attract new fans for many years to come.

Age was never a factor in loving Michael Jackson: his music, his work, his charity, or his legacy. Once the live performers did their thing, a video presentation was shown on the big screen. Footage from the film "This Is It" and various other sources was shown.

There was nothing put on screen that true Michael Jackson fans would not have already seen, and, therefore, the video presentation was not received very well. Once it was over, however, the dancing began! The DJs took over and the MJ die-hards danced the night away in celebration of a life like no other: the life of an all-time great entertainer.

This tribute was not as well attended as it should have been, but it did offer some touching tributes to a man countless music lovers call the greatest entertainer ever. Who's going to argue against that? Not me!