Kandre' McDonald, Freelance Writer
A NUMBER of patrons left Windsor Lawn, St. Ann's Bay, grumbling after waiting without much luck until 5:40 on Saturday morning to see Beenie Man perform.
Beenie was advertised as one of the main acts to perform on the third annual Campari Fuel 2005. However, calls from Elephant Man and Ninja Man for Beenie to come on stage did not come to fruition. 'Ele' even exclaimed: "Mi naah sing nuh more song until Beenie Man come up on the stage." Eventually, Elephant Man placed the microphone on the turntables and left the stage. Ninja Man soon followed.
The massive crowd had been there from Friday night, some persons entering the venue as early as 11:00 p.m. They stood their ground to see Beenie and were in turn disappointed. But it wasn't only that deejay who was missing, Capleton, who is also called 'King Shango' in the dancehall circles, was also nowhere to be found.
When The Gleaner spoke with Shocking Vibes representative Clyde McKenzie on Saturday he said. "Beenie Man may and may not have been there but from what I know he arrived in the island Thursday and is supposed to leave again to perform in Miami tonight."
Checks with representatives from Capleton camp revealed that the artiste has not been in the island since Thursday. Efforts to contact the promoters of the event proved futile.
GOOD APPEARANCES
Prior to the non-performance of the main acts, there were some good appearances. It was Ninja Man however who gave the patrons a spectacular performance, even though he was not booked to appear on the show.
Lady Saw had the patrons' attention as she went through her stint addressing sexual, moral and religious issues. Occasionally, she went without music to ensure that the crowd could hear the lyrics of her songs. She left the stage on a high and was called for an encore. She took back the stage, did a gospel song and declared: "I believe in God and not Selassie," and left the stage. There was a minor uproar in the crowd about the statement as some men sporting dreadlocks began to curse but the tension quickly dissolved.
There were also performances from Spanner Banner and other members of Fifth Element. Fanton Mojah overstayed his time, Little Hero got a number of 'forwards', Bascom X was short and spicy, Spice did well and Singer J showcased how illiterate and annoying someone can be.
(See today's Star for a review of Ninja Man's performance).
