BEENIE MAN and LADY SAWMel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THERE WAS not much room to 'push handcart' or 'gi dem a run' on Thursday at Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest 2003's 'Dancehall Night'.
A huge crowd took up almost every available dancing and standing spot at the festival's Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, St. James main venue, the sheer volume indicated by the forest of arms which reached to the sky when Elephant Man started to 'signal de plane'.
The jolly deejay, clad in a Mexican outfit, more than justified the delirious explosion of firecrackers, flicker of lighters and hoisting of a couple banners in his honour with an explosive entrance with Bun Dung Dat. Utilising a crew of dancers, including the physically challenged Screechie and Dancehall Queen Junko displaying that the Japanese were good to go with his 'anaconda', Elephant Man ensured that 'dancehall nice again'.
Performing just before Bounty Killer, who closed Dancehall Night at 5:30 a.m., Elephant Man ended his rousing stint on-stage with guitar in hand, fake playing along as he sang a tribute to his senorita. Along the way he leaped on a camera stand, climbed and pumped at the stage rigging, hit out at homosexuals, had a singing contest with Kip Rich and did every dance.
The thousands who turned out for Dancehall Night were treated to different sides of their accustomed personas from top guns Bounty Killer, Lady Saw and Spragga Benz, a tiff between Ninja Man and Cobra, a thunderous cameo by Beenie Man, a solid performance by Vybz Cartel and a staged 'weed' confrontation between Wayne Marshall and a policeman that was startlingly real at first.
DISOWNING BOUNTY
Bounty Killer was so rankled by Ninja Man's by then three-hour old jab that he was disowning Bounty because he had given up the 'Poor People's Governor' title that an expletive or two slipped through the 'Code of Conduct'. With Murder Dem Bloodbaat, Mystery, I Am Who I Am and a slew of other gangster tunes, he established his 'bad boy' persona.
However, the lasting memory of Bounty Killer from Dancehall Night 2003 was his girl tunes, as well as cameos by Angel Doolas and Predator. He wrapped up with a song that was an explanation of the Alliance.
Lady Saw ended her restrained performance, in dress, lyrics and movements, in which she semi-playfully complained of being uncomfortable, with a slow, stunning tear-jerker This Is My Dream. Doing edited versions of hardcore lyrics, Lady Saw asked for just one minute to be herself, in which she lay down on the stage, hooked her bare feet around a cameraman - and advised him to be more prepared next time.
Ninja Man made a dramatic entry, clad in a full black Ninja suit. He criticised his 'son' Bounty Killer for relinquishing the Poor People's Governor title before cracking Sumfest with tracks like Deportee and apparently spontaneous lyrics. Cobra, another of Ninja's 'sons', was called in and exploded with Press Trigger.
SNAKE HISSED
However, the team-up threatened to become a tussle as the two exchanged lyrics about an incident between Ninja Man and a 'mad' deejay, with Ninja declaring Cobra an informer. Cobra was eventually left to carry on alone, as the Don Gorgon departed, and the snake hissed his defiance lyrically before asking if 'Yu a run from clash?'
Spragga Benz went for the head instead of the feet, although he did act out Backshot with a changed Lady Saw, who ditched black all-in-ones for short white skirt and pink high heels. Rasta Run De Worl' and Negus Negas were mixed with oldies such as We No Like, with a touch of the Diwali wrapping up a performance which had input from singer Sugar Slick.
Clad in a full baseball outfit, Beenie Man ripped Sumfest apart as a guest on a very solid set by Baby Cham, which covered from Que Sera to Vitamin S and the National Anthem. Beenie Man's rag-waving commands were obeyed en masse and leaps multiplied many thousandfold. When he was handed a plaque by Sumfest director Johnny Gourzong, in recognition of his 25 years in the deejay business, Beenie mentioned one deejay.
"Give thanks to Bounty Killer, for without you this couldn't happen," he said in a heartfelt tone and a sincere expression.
Vybz Cartel, dressed in white from shoes to tie and up to the teeth and packed with lyrics to the rafters, rocked the house with Mos' High, paid tribute to 'de firs' ting me do when me wake up' and the girls agreed it was Sweet To De Belly. When he tried to rub the deejays lyrically the audience loved it and demanded an encore, for which he was joined by Wayne Marshall for New Millennium.
For his part, Marshall capped off a decent set with a skit in which a 'policeman' grabbed a huge 'spliff' and the microphone from him, which Marshall promptly recovered and hit back with a series of weed tunes which had the venue on a high.
Anthony Cruz paid tribute to Shanice and the audience Got It Bad, while Chuck Fendah showed he was really the poor people's defender, in a performance which Richie Spice scorched with Earth A Run Red.
Assassin showed that one day he will be the Roughest, Zumjay were appreciated, while General Degree held his own.
