John Holt performs at 'Baltimore Link Up' held at the Mas Camp, Oxford Road, St. Andrew, on Friday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer NOT EVEN the pouring rain and a small crowd could prevent Barrington Levy from delivering one of his best performances at the Baltimore Link Up held at the Mas Camp, Oxford Road, St. Andrew, on Friday night.
Levy turned out to be the final performer at the rain-affected event. In front of a handful of patrons who watched him from either the protection of their umbrellas or the few shaded areas in Mas Camp, Barrington Levy made the patrons feel as if they were at a packed event that was full of energy.
"Bway di promoter lose money through the rain an' other events weh a keep bout di place," he remarked as he opened his set. "But unnu come fi si a show nuh true," he asked.
"Alright. Mi a go give unnu a show. It's not about the money sometimes. So mi a give unnu a show," he said as he moved into My Woman and other classics. He moved easily into Black Roses In My Garden and the few persons who were present cheered him on.
Pausing again, he commented: "Yuh see true mi go a nuff show in a di early days an' haffi sing to all two people, trust mi unu look like one million," he said.
SUPPORT
With that he cruised into Too Experienced and then on to Unchained as the Baltimore Link Up audience gave him the support he needed.
Levy later stopped again to make a comment about the rain. "Unu nuh fi mind the rain. The rain a wash off nuff tings an' a blessing," he said as he jokingly started to 'speak in tongues'.
His visit to the spiritual realms would be short-lived as he soon returned to earth with Murderer. He would double as a deejay by doing Beenie Man's part in that song. Several other tunes would follow and he would end with Vice Versa Love.
Earlier, Mas Camp had witnessed the likes of Ken Boothe, John Holt and Frankie Paul in all their elements.
Ken Boothe opened his set with Say You as Mas Camp gathered in front of the stage. However, before he could complete the song, the drizzles came down and only those who had umbrellas stayed in the stage area to see him.
But the mass exodus did not deter Ken Boothe. He continued with the song Artibella, segued into When I Fall In Love, Bob Andy's I've Got To Tell You Good Bye and Freedom Street. Boothe would round off his gig with The Train Is Coming and I Would Give Everything I Own.
Frankie Paul was next. Paul started with his Cassanova and Mas Camp came alive. We've Only Just Begun was to follow and by the time his smooth voice started Sarah Baltimore Link Up was singing en masse.
'GLAD TO BE HERE'
"I'm glad to be here," he told the audience. "I flew all the way from Gambia to be here. I flew from Gambia to Brussels to New York and then to here." And, as the drizzles started again the singer appropriately sang Shower Me With Your Love.
He would complete his set with a gospel medley after begging Mas Camp to tell several artistes to 'leave him alone'.
John Holt's short set saw him going through his repertoire as the audience either watched or listened from the safety of the shelters. He went through, Love I Can Feel, Ali Baba and Stick By Me and completed his performance with Carpenter.
An announcement by Richie B that the weather was affecting the equipment ended the show after Levy had performed.
