By Chaos, Freelance WriterTAMI THAT is all she goes by, the one word, Tami - has a face and a body to kill for. Her voice is simply to die for.
She performed last Thursday at the last of 2003's 'RETV Unplugged' shows at the Weekenz Bar & Bistro, Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew. Also on-stage were Rootz Underground, Jana Bent, Gentleman and Richie Spice.
Rootz Underground, whose music can perhaps be best described as an at times intriguing mix of reggae and that anomalous thing called 'world music', has as one of its lead singers Connie Bell, Stephen Newland, guitarist Charles Lazarus, bassist Colin Young, keyboardist Aaron Johnston and lead guitarist/back-up singer, sometimes bassist Geoffrey Moss-Solomon, with drummer 'Beecher'.
Newland did not lack for liveliness and passion and, backed by Bell's crystal clear vocals, went through a repertoire that included sings such as Psalm 131, Destiny, Soul To Soul, In My Hut, Herb Fields and 20 Centuries. The band gels well together and each song was interesting in its own right, but heard one after the other a degree of homogeneity began to creep in which detracted a bit from the performance.
One unique bit was added with MiJanna Webster's violin on In My Hut courtesy of. The next performer was arguably the star of the night. Introduced by MC and RETV host Kristina Newman-Scott as 'Jamaica's Britney Spears' and it was meant in a good way she wowed the moment she hit the stage dressed in an outfit with a number of daring but strategically placed cutouts. Backed by Andrew 'Preggs' Thompson of Mile High on drums, Katalys' Courick Clarke (keyboard) and Paul Barclay (bass), with Gert Beyerns completing the quartet, she started off with Can You Feel Me, little bubbles floating through the air.
Prior to her stint on-stage she had told The Gleaner she felt a little nervous, but this did not last for long as she 'sexed it up' with some rump-shaking, much to the audience's delight. The slightly slower, more introspective I'm Still Afraid was next and it was here that one got an even better idea of her vocal potential as she dipped from high to low without consummate ease. He preceded her current combination with Kid Kurupt, whose absence she apologised for. A few bars into the song, there was the deejay appearing out of nowhere to shouts of applause and approval. The two rocked together.
Recent multi-medallist at the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Hollywood, Jana Bent, appeared next. Dressed as sexy as ever, she was backed by some of the best of Jamaican music has to offer in terms of Mark Darson (Shaggy's drummer), Gibby of 809 fame on bass, Richie Patterson on the keyboards and her brother, Rupert Bent, on guitar.
She started out with snippets of her past hit You So Fine, moving sinuously all the while. A new track, Deaf, Dumb, Blind followed which the music overpowered a bit before another original, Simple Moment. Never Seen You Cry and an acoustic version of No Regrets were well received before she closed her set with a rock version of Baby Boy to applause.
Deejay Gentleman claims to be German, but one might to check his birth certificate. He had Weekenz on its feet and in the air as he performed songs like Dem Gone, The Children, Send A Prayer, Rainy Days and Jah Guide The City in patois that sounded more patois-like than what the average Jamaicans walks and talks with. He, too, was a hit.
Richie Spice closed the proceedings. His muffled vocals could hardly be heard and what could be deciphered hardly seemed worth the effort to listen to.
