Mahalia’s corner is back

After a break of several months triggered by the COVID- 19 pandemic, Mahalia’s Corner, the popular musical event organised by the band 2 Mile Hill, which had become synonymous over the years for showcasing a wide range of local vocal talent, as well as creatives from other arts, is back once again in a new format for a Christmas event called Mahalia’s Corner Christmas Special LIVE TV Show.

The special holiday event will air on CBC TV8 and other social media portals and will feature all of what locals have come to love about the creative event, from several musical performances, spoken word, and much more.

The producer for this show, Kris Clarke, described the absence of the event over the past 22 months as a “bit of a blow” to the group, who initially had planned on expanding the offerings for the show before the pandemic struck.

Despite the setbacks caused by the pandemic, however, Clarke stressed that this year’s show will be an uplifting and enjoyable experience for all, as the group brings the Corner to our screens.

“We just wanted to be able to bring some warmth and good vibes to our people once again, and with the help of our partners, we have been able to figure out how to do that.

We are going to bring the Mahalia’s Corner experience to the television set, and we are going to have a TV special which will pretty much feel like the Corner. Basically bringing the warmth from our living room, which is the stage, to your living room through the TV set,” he explained.

Clarke further added that though the new format for the show was not in the plans initially, as much of the expansion that was scheduled has had to be put on pause because of COVID-19, the upcoming show will fully embody what fans of the event have come to expect as Mahalia’s Corner goes in a new direction.

“I think this show is an evolution of [what] we would have developed from the beginning, which would have been the Bump and Wine brand we used to do and it turned into this massive thing, and now it’s going to TV. It’s still a step in that direction hopefully… The evolution we had planned was going to be more of a public thing.

“I don’t know when we will be able to get to that point, but sometimes things happen for a reason and you find a new road to travel.”

Outside of the live broadcast, viewers will also have a Zoom option available where they can log in to enhance their experience during the 90-minute show.

Lead vocalist for 2 Mile Hill, Mahalia Cummins, said the new live show will be a different experience for the brand this year but is confident that fans will embrace the new Zoom feature, which will aid in the overall experience.

“The biggest thing for me about the Corner this year is that through partnering with CBC and all the other guys, we can actually do it live. We know how the virtual thing has been going since the pandemic dropped in 2020, and as artists and media people and entertainers, we know that it is not the same.

The connection is not there because you are performing to no one, but you are recording it, so there is no energy coming back at you.

“At least with this approach, even though people are not there physically, we know that they are experiencing what we are experiencing at the same time. It’s happening right now, immediately, instant gratification,” she said.

Cummins also teased the expected lineup for the Christmas show, which will feature a variety of artists. “We are going to have faces that you know and love, people like Nikita, Mikey Mercer, John Yarde [and] GP Horns because it’s not only about vocalists; it’s not only about singers; it’s about music and art in general. “There is going to be spoken word as well, people like Cyndi Celeste and DJ Simmons. There is going to be a lot more information to be had, so make sure that you are logged onto all of our spaces, Mahalia’s Corner on Facebook and Instagram, to get the information as it comes out.” (SB)