By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
CAPLETON PUT on a classic dancehall performance at Bojay's Lawn in Anchovy, St. James, on Sunday morning.
It was classic not only in the strength of the performance, which lasted nearly one and a half hours, or the crowd's reaction, which varied from fiery approval to thoughtful silence, but also in the sense that Capleton went back to some vintage material.
Mixed with very recent material, as well as a couple spontaneous pieces, it made for a comprehensive performance which lived up to the show's title 'Still Blazin'.
Capleton more than earned his headline billing on a show which saw crowd-igniting showings from the Roots House Crew of Fire Lion, Okonko and War Face, as well as Lucan I and, in parts, Jah Mason and Chrisinthi. All the artistes worked on rhythms, Danger Zone and Adonai being the sound systems on hand.
On the other end of the applause scale the Warriors, as well as opening performer Dawit St. Aubyn, the Psalmist, were at first tolerated and then soundly booed.
Chuck Fender also impressed the audience, but irritated The Gleaner immensely by opening with the very first line of Rough Out Deh then handing the microphone to the MC and charging off-stage to create a supposed encore.
Capleton also left the stage a bit prematurely after a snatch of Cyaan Tan Ya. However, having gone through a slew of his hits, or the first few lines, at least, he at least had had earned a respite.
Before exiting the stage for the first of many times, only to be recalled by MC DJ Sunshine, Capleton had set the stage for a classic showing by doing Woman Me Lotion and Buggering. He had opened with a mini-lecture, saying that it was Sunday morning and the pastor was off to church to sing about 'a little more oil in my lamp' and 'fire, fire fire'. "So why when Capleton bun fia Babylon get confuse?" he asked, going on to explain the fire from a biological, natural and other points of view.
He started out with We Dey Ya, then demanded that the 'Karate' rhythm, which should have been the first one, be played. It was the first time Capleton had cause to speak to the selectors for the night, but not the last. It got stronger and stronger, until he told them not to (expletive) with him.
Capleton was restricted by the microphone chord, but still found the room to make several leaps and jumping dances. His voice was in good nick and his energy level unabated throughout his performance.
Homosexuals and 'bowcats' earned the full force of the Prophet's ire, while the women received an equal dose of his pleasure.
Capleton went back to material like Prophecy, Wings of the Morning and Alms House, at several points taking requests from the crowd. As promised, he also did some brand new material, which also had a huge impact on the crowd.
Every time he left the crowd called him back, until eventually MC Sunshine had to plead the case of tiredness and the crowd finally relented.
Fire Lion tore the venue to blazing bits, opening with We Naa Stoop Low. He did an 'anti-bowcat' song before calling up War Face, who did a 'bad man' version of The World's Greatest which whipped the audience into a frenzy. They were soon joined by Okonko, who wreaked havoc on the disco beat of Another One Bites The Dust. He continued in the uptempo vein with a weed song on the Buckingham Palace beat.
The three got the crowd to fever pitch with movement, lyrics and delivery, before Fire Lion wrapped up with a musical salvo against homosexuals.
Lucan I was forced to open without rhythm, but was not hampered as he sang, using the melody to the opening lines of Capleton's Good In Har Clothes:
Baby don't bleach no more
Bleaching cream mek yu bruck out inna sore
Bojay's Lawn exploded.
His advice on vaginal hygiene was met with full approval and, earning an encore, Lucan I sang like Gregory Isaacs to wrap up.
When Jah Mason hit the long 'gone' in Princess Gone, there was an uproar in Bojay's Lawn. However, he was affected by microphone problems and Sunshine demanded that it be fixed. He soon introduced Chrisinti, who declared that 'a bare sabotage ting a gwaan... Mek me see if oonu a go sabotage me too!'
'They' did not and Chrisinti's Lift Up The Name of The King lit up Bojay's.
They alternated, Jah Mason doing a weed song and Chrisinti coming back with High Grade Only.
However, there was some slowing of the momentum and Chrisinthi had to calm the audience to do My Sunshine Has Come, which was well received. He departed and Jah Mason wrapped up.
