By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Multicast poets Ginsu (left), Neto Meeks (second left) and Ras Tukura (right) perform while their producer, Makennon Blake-Hannah (second right), looks on. - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
AFTER THE children and the younger talent, even the elements seemed to pay respects to poetry at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Saturday night. The intermittent drizzle let up for the duration of the 'In The Name of Life' concert, after I-Wayne had wrapped up by burning a fire on all 'nastiness' and as the 'word, sound and power' segment was introduced.
The concert was in support of children living with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica and Zimbabwe, as well as to celebrate Roots FM's sixth anniversary and cap off Musician's Week 2004.
Jacko Roots started off the poetry with thoughts on Mi Blackness, moving on to present a positive outlook on life with: 'Mek we embrace de levity I a bun out
negativity.'
He ended the performance, done without music, with a poem of faith in the young as 'a generation of youths/dat Babylon cyaan deceive, cyaan trick'.
The MultiCast Poetz, Neto Meeks, Ginsu and Ras Takura, came on stage as a united force, each taking a microphone and positioning themselves so that they utilised the breadth of the stage. Neto greeted all and led off with his expression on growing up and life choices, the tight rhymes of Cruisin' Up the Waltham cascading over the audience.
Ginsu stepped front and centre with a stated intention to 'take you back to a glorious past', doing just that with a tour 'into the halls of Timbuktu'. It was an educational and spiritual journey, where all were invited to 'jump into the Nile and take a spiritual bath'. Ginsu ended with the affirmation that it was a space 'where Ying and Yang meet and we live positive'.
Ras Takura kept it down home, in the kitchen and on the farm with an ode to some 'good blouse an' skirt Jamaican food'. With Neto and Ginsu strategically stationed relatively far apart on the stage, forming anchoring points of sorts, Takura delighted many in the audience who reacted to familiar hominy porridge and chocolate tea that is so hot 'till you can hardly sip it'.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING
Ginsu returned with a thought-provoking piece about a 'conspiracy, assassination plot/for the black leaders who are talking a lot'.
He used one searing couplet to connect the U.S. and Jamaican experiences, 'Ready to shoot you down like Lee Harvey. Anyhow you soun' like Bob Marley.'
There was a seamless shift to Neto, who came in rapid-fire style on the same topic of race, but from the perspective that, 'Scientific research shows that Black equals ape. They say that's why his woman can be legally raped.'
The MultiCast Poetz wrapped up with Takura addressing the main HIV/AIDS topic of the night head on, stooping to say "I hear the voices from a distance/the pain and the stress/that leave us parentless." He challenged the origins of the virus, saying that 'it was made in your laboratories'. He ended with the advice to 'stick to one queen - life is the only goal/that you have to take control'.
YELLS FOR DYCR
DYCR, clad in khakis, strode on stage to yells of 'Delroy' and 'Granma' from the audience. However, in an extensive, a'capella performance, punctuated by 'forwards' and shouts of approval, the poet showed the depth of his catalogue by being thoroughly entertaining before, during and after the hit poem.
He started with the poem of disappointment that 'she fi come but she no come'.
There were screams as he intoned 'Delroy', DYCR removing his head gear in his passion as he hit the line 'I cyaan sleep in peace'.
He cut that one short, even as there were cries for Sting, explaining that 'some parents just don't want to admit it (but) yu know sey yu have some parents weh love some children more dan de nex'. He gave personal testimony to this, before moving on to Sting.
APPRECIATING THE RHYMES
There were howls from the start, peaking when DYCR said he saw George Nooks (who performed later on Saturday night at 'In The Name of Life') go 'zoops'. He had to take it from the top. Dem Man Deh preceded Sucka, for which there was a huge response, DYCR stamping on stage with passion as he delivered the anti oral sex piece.
The people at 'In The Name of Life' loved Smikle ('I woulda tie him up an give him some rahtid lick fi my money'), they appreciated his rhymes on his 'john' and there was thoughtful silence when DYCR questioned the reproductive habits of some women by asking 'whose kids are they?', his voice rising to a yodel.
The anti 'sciance' poem about Dream Tella Zella preceded his closing poem, which played on and with 'cats', as DYCR wrapped up the poetry segment of 'In The Name of Life'.
