By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
IF FANTAN Mojah had jumped any higher at Independence Park, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on Saturday evening, the red contraption strapped on his back would have had to be a parachute.
As it was, the deejay's leaps underscored his lyrics and further excited the thousands in the park, many of whom had waited patiently through a near two hour rain break to see out the free 'Tribute To Tosh'.
Mojah was one of six performers to take the stage after the unscheduled break, beginning with First Born from Guyana whose Irates had actually been cut short by the sudden showers. With the programme resuming after the slated 7:00 p.m. end, First Born and Kulcha Knox were the only ones of the closing performers to do a Peter Tosh song as the earlier performers had done, the Guyanese reggae group going with Mark Of The Beast and Know interpreting Downpresser Man.
Bongo Herman asked for three cheers for his "personal bredren", Peter Tosh, and King of Kings CEO Worrell King, who organises the annual tribute, because "him is the only man in Jamaica who keep Peter Tosh name on a peak". Herman left his famous percussions for last, putting a large back over his shoulder to illustrate Sugar Minott's Mister DC, the audience exploding as he crouched over in performing the marijuana anthem.
BELLOWED APPROVAL
Paul Elliott stomped left and right on the stage in opening with Seek Jah Jah Blesing and Gwaan, having to 'pull' on the chorus as the hordes bellowed approval. The intensity of delivery and response continued for Real Ting and Seek Jah Jah Blessing and Gwaan, Elliot ending with 20 seconds of leaning back high kicks to the mix of the SANE Band, for which the audience chanted in time and eventually erupted.
Mojah's advise that "it no tek nutting at all to hail de King" had to be pulled twice; Divide and Rule to back up his cry to "free Jah Cure" was inciniendary. "Yu see poor people, we tiad a de 16 bills and two gran' a week," Mojah said, leaping even higher for Do Something For The Poor. A cameo by Tia, weed ode and a song for Tosh's mother completed his set.
Eddie Fitzroy remembered another dead reggae icon with Tenement Yard, his 'bionic sound' resounding over the park. A sound-alike came on to help out on Princess Black, Fitzroy's messages against gins and general penitentiary falling on appreciative ears.
The man from the east, Natty King, closed the show in the west, keeping to the anti-violence theme with No Guns To Town. The deep-voiced singer dipped into a bit of 'Tosh-talk', renaming Westmoreland 'Cessmoreland'. The cheers intensified for Mr. Greedy, which Natty King utilised to end this year's 'Tribute to Tosh'.
"Probably we will be back next year and do it for again free," Cordell Green, who co-emceed the show with Denise 'Isis' Miller, said.
IN THE BEGINNING
In the earlier going, a steady stream of Tosh songs had been presented, along with original material, in making the event a true tribute and not simply a concert.
The newly formed Pace Band got things going in the mid-afternoon before a large audience, which would grow during the course of the concert, decline with the rain and then swell to even greater numbers in the night. The music for Coming In Hot was an appropriate start, Equal Rights followed and then the singing drummer provided the vocals for Stepping Razor. A jeans-clad young lady combined with him on You Bring Me Sunshine, before To-Isis stepped up in five part harmony, opening with Ghetto Pain.
A mix of Tony Rebel's If Jah Is Standing By My Side and Everton Blender's Ghetto People Song was well done and they ended with We Chant Love.
HARMONY
LMJ was the female side of the harmony, the trio doing a good job on Tosh's Creation, as well as doing two of their singles. Mackie Conscious, Tosh-like in look with golden robe and dark glasses, made an immediate impact with Johnny B. Goode, a screaming guitar adding to the 'rock and reggae' flavour. His original What If preceded Disciplined Child, on which Mackie Conscious played bass and he ended with the burning 'jacket' question "should I run or should I stay?", members of the audience shouting their opinions on the matter.
Tarrus Riley moved on stage to the rhythm, the audience moving with him as he opened "the man who thinks he's larger than life". "Free up yu min', free yu soul, free up the music," he said, as he started again. With the microphone on the stand, Riley did Barber Chair for those who "sight Rasta and get a fight", his clapping to the rhythm picked up by the crowd. Riley's Tosh song was In My Song Jah Is The Melody, which he had to start again after one line. Tarrus Riley stooped to play the drum, before ending with the slow, moving If It Is Jah Will.
Chezidek declared "it is a bloody war" to thunderous acclaim; Tosh's defiant statement "me naa go jail fi ganja no more" was the perfect springboard for his own Leave The Tree which caused delighted howls over Independence Park.
Abdel Wright played an acoustic set, beginning with Roughest Time, guitar, harmonica, voice and drum blending beautifully. Quicksand followed and Tosh's Glasshouse was given good treatment.
SANE replaced Pace and Trevor Daley dropped Junior Byles' Fade Away before First Born's run at Tosh's Mark Of The Beast and their own Irates was interrupted by rain.
