By Chaos, Freelance Writer
Above: Rupert Bent II, Ordean Francis on drums, Noel Seal on the congos, Aeion Hoilet on bass guitar and Ibo Cooper as they perform a jazz-inflected piece at 'Jamming On The Fault Line' in the early hours of last Sunday morning. At right: Fahrenheit perched at the edge of the stage in front of his back-up singers as he raps with the audience at 'Jamming On The Fault Line' on Sunday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
'JAMMING ON The Fault Line' got off to a two-hour late start, finally getting off the ground at 8 p.m. when Suzanne Couch, who produced the event, sat behind the keyboards on a stage which had taken so long to put together and sent the sounds of Never Stop Loving wafting into the cool night air, to mingle with the aromas of various cooked meats which were being prepared.
The venue was Falise, Jack's Hill and it was last Saturday night. A look to the left revealed the night-lit Kingston at the bottom of the hill in all its glory, making the wait that much easier to bear. 'Jamming' was in its 12th staging said Couch, despite being on a hiatus for the past few years, and featured a line-up of performers, scheduled or not to perform, that would be the envy of any event staged in Jamaica.
A few dark clouds threatened earlier, sprinkling the grounds with a slight drizzle that sent the children and adults moving towards the varied enclosed areas available. That did not last for long and after another extended break after Suzanne Couch's performance while Brother Joe's Rightful Brothers set up the stage with their drums, those present soon took up place on the grass and on various plastic chairs in eager anticipation. Children of varied ethnic extractions ran around and a particular group of four decided to make the stage their own, clambering with some degree of difficulty on to the front of it and looking absurdly pleased with their efforts, prompting a little girl who was comfortably ensconced in her father's arms to say "Boys! Don't go up there, that's naughty!" Not that they paid attention.
MC Bobby finally took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and introduced Brother Joe's Rightful Brothers. The six-man aggregation, only one a non-Rastafarian, brought a hush down over the venue as they started drumming. The white-dreadlocked Brother Joe on the repeater/congo drums and doing the vocals, Brother Andrew on a large bass drum, Brother Shephan on the funde, George Williams - the non-Rastafarian - on the tambourine, Matthew Lion on guitar and Earl Jenkins as the chanter soon brought a taste of something different to the venue. The drums began and thoughts of a 'Nine Night' immediately came to mind as Brother Joe delivered a mini-sermon, saying Jah! Shall rise up and call his people. Selah. Go Before Us Rastafari And Do Thy Work Thyself followed with intoxicating drumming, the guitar kicking in a little later.
Couch, dancing beside the stage, said to The Gleaner "This is original you know. You can't get any more original than this," as people kept time by nodding their heads and the kids, somewhat less entertained, milled around on the slightly damp grass, with Brother Joe and friends segueing into Birds In The Treetop. Rastaman Chant, with its famous refrain Babylon yuh throne gone dung was followed a version of It Soon Be Done done over a single, steady beat. Jenkins, dressed in khaki-coloured shirt and trousers, waved the ends of a long white scarf with red, green, gold and black trimmings which was wrapped around his neck as he harmonised without the aid of a microphone, chanting.
Soul Case - at least part of the band - was up next. In an acoustic set, Gordon Scott on vocals and Omar Francis on guitar sat on two stools slightly to the right of the stage and thrilled. Scott's strong and clarion clear yet melodious voice soared on African War Dance. "Here's a little Steel Pulse, if we can manage it... and you guys can sing along," Scott said before launching into Steppin' Out, with Francis providing back-up. The next song, Violator, was introduced as an original written by the duo. The song came across as possibly being about anything from rape to slavery as Francis sang I don't hate you/no, no, no/All I have is pity and How could you steal my youth? It also featured a very good guitar solo which got even more applause, especially from what seemed to be a fan club in one corner of Falise.
Time Is My Lover is where the twosome went beyond merely impressive. Time is my lover/She's good to me/She wipes away/All my misery Scott sang and the silence from the onlookers was deafening until the final notes died out into the slight breeze and applause was the order of the next few seconds.
"I have to say something - I met Gordon five years ago and he was saying 'I want to come back to Jamaica' and I told him 'Come back to Jamaica, the music is so much easier now'. Aren't you glad?" Couch said on-stage at the end of Soul Case's performance, as Scott rebuttoned his trousers and rebuckled his belt, which had mysteriously come undone during his performance before they exited the stage.
After his performance, Gordon Scott told The Gleaner about Suzanne Couch, "I love her man, she is basically my godmother man, my fairy godmother. She made me come to Jamaica, she is so... music. I met her in 1997 after I entered the national song contest and placed second, I toured all of Jamaica then I left, she made me come back."
'Jamming On The Fault Line' also saw performances from Cindy Breakspeare, Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Della Manley, Jana Bent, Andrew McIntyre, Toots Hibbert, Leebert 'Gibby' Morrison, Tessanne Chin, the Martial Arts band, the United States-based Thievery Corporation, Fahrenheit and his back-up singers, Wayne Marshall, Buccaneer, Bling Dawg, Kip Rich, Rupert Bent II and III, Noel Seal, Ibo Cooper and Dean Fraser and his band as well as others.
