The World AIDS Day concert staged on Wednesday afternoon not only brought out supporters in droves to watch the stellar line-up of artistes, but also focused on creating awareness and dispelling myths about the disease.

The concert, which was staged at National Heroes' Park, downtown, Kingston, by the Ministry of Health, featured acts including CeCile, Chino McGregor, Tifa, I-Octane, G-Whizz, Ity and fancy Cat and others.

Not only were the performances a hit with the delighted audience, but so too were the constant safe-sex messages. So much so, many in the audience opted to take advantage of free HIV/AIDS tests also being carried out at the park. Dancehall artiste G-Whizz, known for tracks such as Life, Night or Day, Weekend and others, said, "It felt good to be a part of that gathering where I could spread a little bit of fun and inspire people in the audience to get tested, although they might be afraid to."

inspirational hit

Ce'Cile - File

Dancehall artiste Chino McGregor also spoke similarly. The artiste, known for Pon Yuh Head, Protected, his inspirational hit, From Mawning, and others, said, "It was a great vibe in Kingston for sure. The audience really enjoyed the music from the artistes but they were really receptive to the message about getting tested, and how to prevent becoming infected."

Jamaican entertainers weren't the only ones keen on sending a message for World AIDS Day. A number of US entertainers chose to log off twitter to observe a moment of silence for those infected with the disease. While others encouraged fans to get tested and always have safe sex.The theme for World AIDS Day 2010 was Universal Access and Human Rights.