Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Toots Hibbert in action at the Emancipation Park. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
WHEN FREDERICK 'Toots' Hibbert of the Maytals, winner of the first Festival song competition in 1966 with 'Bam Bam' and the 2004 Reggae Grammy with 'True Love', finished performing at the Emancipation Park, New Kingston, on Sunday evening, he became one with the audience.
With the band continuing to play, Toots spoke and shook hands with persons across the front section of the crowd, accepting hugs from quite a few people, at times almost indistinguishable from those who had cheered him as he closed Wellfest 2005.
A WILLING AUDIENCE
There were no shortcuts from Toots, his voice at times soaring unexpectedly, then at other times falling into near growls. Sweat glistened from his exposed arms as he at times danced and at others sat on a monitor, at all times interacting with a willing audience in extended versions of some of his songs, complete with tempo changes.
And with some of the songs came stories.
'Pressure Drop' ended on a cry of 'One time!', Toots' hand to the sky. 'Country Road' got an extended introduction, a playful Toots pausing after a soulful 'almost heaven', then singing "and all my friends looking up at me, thinking, wondering, hoping what I going do next". There was laughter, then cheers as he sang "I am looking much younger than the mountains". When he hit the refrain "country roads/take me home" there was an explosion of applause. Toots coached them in call and response on the refrain, saying 'my turn' and 'everybody turn!' at the appropriate places.
"This is a song that I wrote for myself and the great late Bob Marley," Toots said, in introducing the next song. "But we didn't get to sing it together. Is a big loss. This is roots rock and it is dedicated to you. Listen to my words," Toots said. "I write this song because every word is true."
RHYTHMIC CLAPPING
The song covered the visits of HIM Haile Selassie and Nelson Mandela, as well as the presence of Marcus Garvey, all of whom said "Toots rocks the reggae".
With the band in good nick, including a very good lead guitar, and a trio of back-up singers harmonising well, Toots started a rhythmic clapping and proceeded to instruct the audience in a simple prayer, beginning with a vocally exalted 'irie!', then singing "let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our heart, be acceptable in our heart forever". "Very easy. That's a prayer," Toots said.
And they sang it.
'Monkey Man' was preceded by a humorous tale of the circumstances under which it was written (about a rather unattractive fellow) and he took a break before coming back to do '54-46', along with an extended closing chant in which he introduced the band, pouring some water from a bottle over his head and taking a drink before he satisfied co-emcee Elaine Wint-Leslie's soul with a brief 'Thank You Massa God'.
