Assassin, performed with Buju and Spragga at 'Champions in Action' on Saturday night at Caymanas Polo Club in St. Catherine. - FILE PHOTOS
SATURDAY NIGHT'S staging of 'Champions In Action' delivered on the promise of its posters - and more - to a huge audience at Caymanas Polo Club, in St. Catherine.
In addition to orderly performances from all the billed headline performers, including Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Capleton, Beenie Man, Assassin, Spragga Benz, Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, there were early morning surprises from Wayne Wonder and TOK. Ninja Man was a double surprise, as he not only performed briefly but also offered a handshake to Vybz Kartel, which was accepted.
"People a wonder why I am on stage with Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel, after 'Sting'. But this is 'Champions in Action' ...," Ninja Man said, just before the peace gesture.
'BRAWTA'
There was also a 'brawta' of a different sort for some people at the very front of the crowd, with spontaneous money giveaways by Ras Ghandi and 'Miami's Puff Daddy', who was not a performer.
Saying that he was not rich and he had $7,000 in his wallet, Ghandi sent the bills fluttering into the air. "Some bway nah gi de people dem nutten. Buy oonu self suppen," he said, the screams of female voices amplified by his microphone. The other money giveaway was of a different calibre. "See U.S. money deh!" Miami's Puff Daddy said as he tossed out cash to people at the very front of the audience.
There was no mistaking who was in charge of the event, as there were repeated 'big ups' to the Presidential Click and the President. There was a huge response when Spragga Benz deejayed 'Dudus run Garden' in Warrior Cause and when Buju Banton deejayed 'tap a di top Dudus'.
And there was an overwhelming 'forward' when Anthony B, after coming up with a burning of dutty tinking Babylon, deejayed a few lines to lead up to "a dem kill me bredren Chris Royal".
Bounty Killer added another name to the night's sporadic big-ups of persons such as Jim Brown, Jah T and Zion Train. "Big up Zekes who incarcerated, cause a one love we a deal wid," he said.
From Military Man dismissing sponsors and deejaying From Wha Day just after midnight to Beenie Man delivering King of The Dancehall at 6:00 a.m., 'Champions In Action' was smoothly run, with quick band changes and almost none of the 'call-ons' of young artistes that plague dancehall shows.
With a full moon overhead it was a peaceful event, with the first firecracker of the night going up for Assassin as he 'stepped pon dem'.
Assassin featured in an exquisite moment with Buju Banton, who came up to perform with him and Spragga Benz. After Buju rode the 'Love P---aany Bad' rhythm, the young champion honoured his elder champion with a throwback line to Gargamel's Stamina Daddy, as the audience roared.
CLOSING TRIO
The closing trio of Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel and Beenie Man were the only other deejays on the night to perform in combination, delivering a show-closing round-robin of songs that revolved around dancing, girls and badmanship.
Sizzla's fare varied from hardcore 'badness' lyrics to the inspiring Rise To The Occasion and the soulful Just One of Those Days, while Capleton was in a fiery mood, chanting "b....man fi get gramazone" as well as exhorting the audience to 'tun e up'.
Turbulence, credited by the night's main MC, Nuffy, as being very patient, topped off a 'crowd-bussing' performance of snippets of his lyrics with Notorious, earning one of the night's very few recalls to the stage.
Bounty Killer gave the pink wearing bad men a month to get the delicate shade out of their closets, hosting Busy Signal and Jagwa briefly in his set, which varied from Lodge to lyrics for caring fathers, ending with his soft, singing side to the delight of the audience.
The main drawback of the night was the somewhat rutted parking area provided, and the congestion at the end of the show complete with skids on th grass before hitting the road which saw some patrons taking up to 90 minuts to make it back onto Mandela Highway.
