Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
CHAM
WESTERN BUREAU:
TERROR FABULOUS returned in good, if not outstanding, form at the 2005 staging of the Portmore Awards.
The show held at the Caymanas Football Field in Portmore, St. Catherine, also saw awards being handed out to Macka Diamond, Professor Nuts and Gregory Isaacs. Billed headliners Sizzla, Anthony B and Beenie Man did not perform, but the 'unbilled' Baby Cham sparkled and two of an abbreviated 'Magnificent 7', Turbulence and Ghandi, were also in especially good form.
The show ended with a command from MC Nuffy to "pull up" at 5:20 a.m. yesterday morning, as an audience that had stuck through a long programme drifted away.
The event pulled out enough people to fill a little over a third of the football field, with some choosing to stand a bit back from the bulk of the crowd. And it pulled out pride from Nuffy who was also the promoter.
"Look pon me nice, decent show. Me feel nice yu know. A de firs' time me a put on a band show," he said. The band for the entire show was Live Wya.
In the relatively early going, Trapper John with his encouragement to work ("how it a go when you an' Mista Lazy a par"), Mikeylous ("it sticky ova farin an' it sticky dung a yard"), Benito with his searing description of "where I live" and Derrick Parker's Bus De Appeal were among those who hit the right note with the audience.
Terror Fabulous may have been away from the performing scene for some time, but his songs were certainly remembered, as the thunderous response to his opening Gangster showed. When he asked "how many mornings oonu get up an' pray" on the 'Real Rock' rhythm the audience howled, and the same applied for Number Two and Have Yu Ever Seen a 45 Before?. However, for much of his time on stage Fabulous handed over the spotlight to Mega Banton and Ricky General, who he called up, Banton in turn sharing Pon De Corner with Delly Ranks. By the time Fabulous returned with Position it did not have the effect that it should have as a dancehall standard.
The 'Best of the 80s' saw General Trees cracking the lawn with Eye No See and giving extended renditions of lyrics about Bashco and Ivan, before heading to Negril. Professor Nuts was a riot, pulling down his spectacles to "look at my students". Nuff Man, with its references to roads and women in Portmore, hit the spot and he attempted to discipline his privates before leaving the stage and being demanded to do an equally effective encore.
Gregory Isaacs rocked the house with Tune In, Night Nurse, Hard Drugs and I Don't Wanna Be Lonely Tonight, while Flourgon, Red Dragon and Johnny P performed in combination, Dragon putting on the finishing touch as he took a humorous look at how deejays will look when they get old, including "Elephant Man (who was) supposed to look like rhinoceros".
Angel started a female segment, complete with female MC DJ Sunshine, while Spice was all dressed in red with flowing wig to high boots, with Baby Cham as her surprise guest scorching with snippets of Vitamin S, Babylon Bwoy and The Hood.
Later Ghandi came up with a lit torch in his hand and a slow song stating "we no want no more bloodshed" and there was pandemonium. It continued with Message To Mama and I Nah Lef Out De Girls Dem.
Turbulence commanded attention before bringing the 2005 Portmore Awards to a Notorious end.
