Bermuda's premier concert event continued its recent trend of excellence on day two of the 15th annual Bermuda Music Festival.

The venue was the decadent Poinciana Ballroom at the Fairmont Southampton, which was packed to the hilt with music lovers.

Friday's programme was perhaps the most exciting of the three nights, considering that two of the four big festival draws graced the stage on day two, and that the mix of a seasoned veteran like the deeply soulful Angie Stone, and a fresh and funky newcomer like Estelle is always a tantalizing prospect.

The stage show started the moment I arrived. No, really, it was almost like they were waiting for me. I'm not saying that was the case, but as soon as I took my seat, Nadanja took the stage. I was only 20 minutes late mind you, so it was probably just a fortunate coincidence. Fortunate for me that is!

Local act McCartney K and Friends opened the evening nicely, delivering smooth, powerful vocals over a wonderful live band of Bermudian musicians. An excellent selection of contemporary and classic R&B covers got the audience thoroughly in the mood for what would be a transcendently soulful evening. McCartney K and Friends were fully stocked with a repertoire of hits by Mary J. Blige, Alecia Keys, Mint Condition, Boyz II Men, and New Edition, all of which they delivered with goose-bump-making panache.

The Friends were outstanding, especially Steve Easton, who handled most of the male vocal requirements. Songs like New Edition's heartfelt 'Can You Stand The Rain', and Boyz II Men's sublime 'Water Runs Dry' found the four vocalists riffing in spine-tingle inducing harmony, making this reviewer both excited and proud that this was a Bermudian band delivering this level of musical excellence.

The international portion of the show started after a short intermission, during which Nadanja displayed his usual dexterity in front of an audience. Mr. Bailey was a fantastic host, and certainly made the band switches seem routine, and much shorter than they probably were. The night ran very smoothly in fact. There were three complete band set-ups, two ten plus minute intermissions, and absolutely no complaints.

Angie Stone took that stage at around 9.10 p.m., and delivered a richly funky, robust set of instantly recognisable hits and emotionally charged anthems. Soul sister number one was charismatic, funny, warm, and inviting throughout her hour long set, making sure to provide something for everyone.

Highlights of her set included covers of the D'Angelo opus 'Brown Sugar', the Curtis Mayfield standard 'The Makings of You', the comprehensive 'Everyday', the hard-skinned 'Easier Said Than Done', and the anthemic ode to positive black malehood 'Brotha'. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed Angie's performance, hanging on her every word, and following her every twist and turn as she guided us on a tour through her own personal Soulville.

Ms Stone closed with the massive recuperation tunes 'No More Tears', and 'I Wish I Didn't Miss You'. It was a performance worthy of a festival finale, but it wasn't even the last act of the night; the Festival Friday was that good!

After another brilliant spell from Nadanja, London's answer to Lauren Hill made her first ever Bermuda splash. Estelle was adorable from start to finish. Her still developing stage presence revealed a combination of innocence, ambition, charm, and confidence in her considerable talent. Add to this the fact that she was backed by an outstanding band, and her back-up dancer/singers worked every song like they were aerobics instructors, and you have a quite stunning closing act.

Crowd favourites included the international hits 'American Boy', and 'Won't You Come Over', while lesser known tunes from her new album like 'Shine', 'Back In Love', and 'Fall In Love', provided more than enough evidence of this young ladies musical mettle.

Then there were the beautiful covers of Admiral Tibet's 'I'm Not A Substitute Lover', The Temptations and Rare Earth classic 'Get Ready', and Coldplay's ethereal 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face'.

Suffice it to say: Estelle was a wonderful addition to the Bermuda Music Festival annals. This year's festival has been disparaged for the drastic change of venue and the step down in star power, but what I witnessed on Friday evening was anything but a step down. Luxurious setting, glorious technical accoutrements, stellar performances, and a large room full of fully decked out smiling Bermudians; what more can you ask for?

The Bermuda Music Festival is still the heavyweight champion of stage shows produced on this Island we love. Can't wait for the 16th annual!