By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
King Stitt performing at the Studio One 50th Anniversary Show, held at the Old Coal Wharf, Port Royal, on Saturday.
- WINSTON SILL/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE ELEMENTS of a tremendous celebration were in place. It was the 50th anniversary of the place where it all started, Studio One at 13 Brentford Road.
The line-up included Studio One standouts such as Ken Boothe and Marcia Griffiths, as well as the second generation of an outstanding alumnus in the Marley brothers, Stephen, Julian and Damian.
The Studio One All-Stars, with Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace on drums and 'Deadly Headly' Bennett on saxophone, as well as the new generation in Gumption, with an outstanding Ras Brass (Dean Fraser, Nambo Robinson, Chico Chin) were among the bands billed.
GRUELLING LINE-UP
Even the recent death of Studio One founder Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd raised the level of sentiment around the occasion, which required three MCs in Junior Sinclair, Norma Brown-Bell and Ron Muschette.
However, for the $1000 gate price entrance fee, a well below-par audience at the Ol' Coal Wharf, Port Royal, was presented with a sometimes gruelling line-up that saw many calling it quits by the end of Ken Boothe's extended performance.
His performance included historical insights into Dodd's song selection and financial investment, at about 4:00 a.m. With many standouts, including Culture, still waiting to perform, the remaining persons warmed to Bunny and Scully.
While the duo, which marks the same anniversary as Studio One, represented one end of the saga, another Bunny Bunny Brown of the Chosen Few presented material from the last album that Dodd gave his stamp of approval.
And Tanice Morrison, the latest addition to the Studio One family, did a good job on Perfidia, as well as her original Studio One recording Old Hurt.
FAMILY HISTORY
There was no coal in sight, with the placid waters of the Kingston Harbour and the lights of the city across in the capital forming a good view on one perimeter of the venue.
But there were a few gems formed by a higher pressure than that required for mined coal, in Charlie Chaplin's testament to 'good over evil', Marcia Griffiths going through the Penthouse and Studio One stables into Dreamland, Derrick Harriott giving a Long Story, The Mighty Diamonds passing the kutchie and the Marley brothers performance, which was powerful in its simplicity and lack of bombast.
"Big respect to Studio One foundation. As far as our family history is concerned, it played an important part," Damian 'Jnr. Gong' Marley said, before doing It Was Written, which had to be restarted several times including twice for a surprise showing from deejay Capleton.
That family history was illustrated in a Studio One display at the rear of the venue, which included covers of several of the albums which made Studio One famous.
Among them were albums by Don Drummond, the Ethiopians, Willie Williams and an album cover that showed a very young Wailers, all clean-cut, with Peter Tosh actually smiling.
SPECIAL CONNECTION
A special presentation to Norma Dodd, done by Donisha, saw Rita Marley, who travelled from Ethiopia specially for the occasion, giving testimony to the connection between Nine Miles and 13 Brentford Road.
"Most of the time we hungry bad bad and we go to Mr. Dodd and say we need something. And he would say go to Norma and she would say yes. So it takes a woman and a man," Rita Marley said.
And Ken Boothe confirmed Coxsone's financial commitment, even as he explained that "All of us were bitter. We know financially sometimes we were not getting what we were supposed to. But a little bit of good is better than a whole lot of bad. And I thank God for the good that Sir Coxsone did. My children go to school, good school, because of this."
King Stitt and Fantan Mojah represented the older and newer styles of deejaying, as a spectrum of Jamaican music was presented at the Ol' Coal Wharf for Studio One's 50th anniversary.
But, unfortunately, the lecture hall was far from packed and the lessons went on long into diminishing returns, as Saturday turned Sunday.
