By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Minott went deep into the sugar bowl to sprinkle crystals of hits over the audience at Club Inferno, in Rose Hall, Montego Bay.
- Adrian Frater Photo
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE ROOTS of Jamaican music made an impressive return to Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest on Wednesday.
'Foundation Night' was held at Club Inferno in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, but accompanied by the ringing snares and exquisite horns of the Fabulous Five band and in front of a large audience, a line-up running from Fredlocks to Sugar Minott put on a display more than worthy of the Catherine Hall main venue.
Club Inferno was relatively full from the 9 p.m. start and only got 'fuller' as the night progressed with the easy stylings of Johnny Clarke, the Firehouse Rock of Wailing Souls, the regal mien of Marcia Griffiths, the humour of Admiral Bailey, the intensity of Leroy Sibbles and classy chill of Gregory Isaacs, closing with Minott.
ORIGINAL REGGAE
"It is all about original reggae, fi years," Clarke preceded his delivery of None Shall Escape the Judgement. "More hits, memba!" the man known as 'The Hit Machine' said, exiting with Rock With Me Baby, only to be recalled for Move Outa Babylon.
The Wailing Souls, the only duo of the night, brought out the old broom for the new friends and delighted the ladies especially with Sweet Sugar Plum Plum. Enquiries about the 'new world order', in a call and response fashion, had the audience participating as they exited.
Dennis Howard, who co-hosted the evening with Winston Williams, introduced Marcia Griffiths as "Her Majesty" and she unfolded part of a royal catalogue, beginning with Kiss You Once More and continuing with Dreamland. I Shall Sing was a hit, as were all her selections, and Marcia Griffiths called for the mix and hit Cutty Ranks remake style on Fire Burning.
More was required after Feel Like Dancing and Truly and she anchored with a beautiful, piano backed rendition of her 40th anniversary song, which declared "it feels like shining time at last/cause the seeds I've sown have finally brought forth".
"Oonu ready fi dis? Admiral Bailey demanded as Fab Five bounced the sleng teng rhythm. Ready or not, he let out his trademark laugh and went into Tink Me Did Done, then Horse Tonic, sitting on the rhythm like the proverbial lizard on a limb. They roared.
THE IMMORTAL ODE
The immortal ode to Punaany was illustrated with hip movements to make a Gemini Nightclub employee rethink how good she is at her trade, Admiral advising the gentlemen to take note. The uptempo God Pickeney moved them all and foreigner and yardy along agreed that "noweh no betta dan yard".
There was no patter from the clear voice of Ellis, the semi-nasal twang of Isaacs and the healthy rasp of Sibbles, who simply delivered the hits from I'm Still In Love, Book of Rules and Night Nurse respectively. Ellis introduced Christopher Ellis during his set and Gregory Isaacs sang, skanked his way out of his cream jacket, opened his floral shirt, hummed and moaned on his way to an encore for which he commented "dem still want more".
SUGAR BOWL
Minott went deep into the sugar bowl to sprinkle crystals of hits over the audience at Club Inferno, seeming to get better the longer he went on. From the opening Devil Pickeney through raping "ribibidubadeng" like Supercat to advising Buy Out The Bar and lamenting No Vacancy, through to his personal testimony Never Give Jah Up, Minott's vocals were impeccable. The weed anthems Herbman Hustling and Mr DC struck home and the sugary one, declaring his respect for Coco Tea, said that he heard him and Richie Stephens fighting over women but "mi done wid dem gyal deh long time". "Dem jus' a rush me/the women in my life," Minott sang to the crowd's delight.
And, true to his tradition of encouraging the youth, he allowed two members of the Youthman Promotion crew to close his set and a wonderful Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest 'Foundation Night'.
