Ele’s ‘thinging’ of the internationally acclaimed children’s anthem We Are The World on Saturday night at the Shaggy and Friends concert was definitely a high point of the evening as the truism of the lyrics reverberated throughout the venue.
It was an evening for selfless giving and each patron who paid to secure entry to the venue made a worthwhile contribution, be it $5,000, 10,000 or 20,000, to the Bustamante Hospital for Children. And it all came together because of the vision of diamond-selling reggae artiste, Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell.
Undoubtedly, Shaggy was the man of the moment, both on and off stage, and the artistes who gave of their time and talent deserve special commendation for their unselfish act.
Elephant Man, looking as if he had been baptised in Gucci, made a plea for fidelity (let’s forget for a second the number of babymothers Ele has) and encouraged black woman “di mother of the earth” to show respect to their man, because they won’t know what they have until they lose it. Whether Ele had planned this pep talk prior to going on stage, or if he had been caught up in the moment, we can’t say, but nevertheless, well said Ele.
And, with his naturally flamboyant self, the energy god, signalled the plane, gully creeped and nuh linga’ed his way right into the hearts of those who had, prior to now, only seen him fleetingly on television. When he performed We Are The World, it was the icing on the cake.
It was definitely a night of surprises, and Lady Saw, elegantly packaged and singing – not deejaying – from her heart was one of the best yet. Those who know Marion Hall, are aware that this dancehall Muma is like water, she changes shape to fit into any container. So, on a stage show to benefit the children, Lady Saw was all goodness and truth. She delved into her extensive and versatile catalogue and did a prayer song, after which she tugged at heartstrings with her single, No Less A Woman. This song is her anthem for all the women, including herself, who are trying to have a child. But it wasn’t all tears, as she bounced back on stage with Shaggy, this time answering his latest song, Bad Man Don’t Cry, with both lyrical and physical jabs. It was hilarious.
With an aggregation led by Dean Fraser as the only backing band for the evening, the show flowed smoothly. With the exception of Amelia ‘Milk’ Sewell, who appeared with Usain Bolt at the top of the show, and later Paula-Ann Porter and David ‘Squeeze’ Annakie, there was no emcee to introduce each act, further ensuring that the pace was kept vibrant.
Veteran singer, Barrington Levy, just as he did the previous week at Beres’ Moment In Time, gave a memorable peformance. Mr Broader Than Broadway, dressed in white with his trademark hat, rolled out the hits and the patrons showered him with love. Freddie McGregor, too was in good form and it was a sing-along when he did Longing to See You and his signature hit, Big Ship.
Tony Rebel, an artiste who usually doesn’t perform on any show so close to his own Rebel Salute, was as fresh as the vegetables he sang about. Mr Rebel thrilled the audience, especially when he did the Spanish version of If Jah Is Standing By My Side (Si Jah, Esta Al Lado De Mi). Chris Martin was circumspect, did his songs and didn’t even attempt to take of his shirt, as he is usually inclined to do on other stages. Sean Paul, always a better recording than performing artiste, made a great effort to entertain, but still stayed a bit too long. But Mr Mention, Buju Banton, could do no wrong. He was “di Driver” and he was in charge. His set included the dancehall hit version of the 23rd Psalm, with Gramps of Morgan Heritage, and the lively Only Rasta from the Til Shiloh album.
Tarrus was charming and his mega hit, the Song of the Year for 2007, She’s Royal, hit the right note with fans. Singer Da’Ville, did two songs to which patrons listened and when he called on the Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths, to perform their combination single, they came to life.
Marcia represented the female contingent well and kept the flames ablaze with songs like Fire Burnin’ and I Shall Sing.
Tessanne was in her comfort zone and so too was Etana.
The Strong One performed Warrior Love, I Am Not Afraid and Roots, much to the delight of the audience. Soca queen, Allison Hinds, was a bundle of energy, and then some. Her impact came from behind and when she “roll(ed) it gal”, it was all over as the crowd bought it hook, line and sinker.
R&B singer Macy Gray, with her trademark “big hair”, like most of the acts, did a short, tight set and scored with the song, Time To Say Goodbye.
As the man around whom the show revolved, Shaggy made four appearances throughout the evening – each time in a different outfit – and used the opportunity to invite various members of his Big Yard stable on stage. His solo performnces, along with those with Rayvon, Rik Rok and Brian and Tony Gold, all went over well with the massive Jamaica House crowd.
Source: JamaicaObserve
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