Adrian Frater, News Editor
Shaggy gives away long-stemmed roses during his performance on Thursday's opening night at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.
WESTERN BUREAU:
IN ADDITION to wonderful musical offerings at Thursday's opening night of the 2006 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, patrons were left were a series of rib-tickling moments.
Promoter Walter Elmore described it as the best opening night in terms of the numbers of persons who turned out on the Cinnamon Hill golf course of the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, St. James.
After completing his blazing, hit-laced set, which lasted over an hour, with a long flight to Argentina just hours away, reggae superstar Shaggy seemed reluctant to answer the call for an encore. He playfully asked: "Onoo want me come back; onoo have money fe pay me?"
The response was equally playful, as one person immediately tossed several Jamaican $100 notes on stage. That sparked a mini money tossing frenzy, as other persons joined in the cash throwing, inclusive of a few coins, on the stage before the seemingly amused Shaggy.
Shaggy picked up a few hundred dollar notes, examined them closely and with a wry smile remarked "is not this me want I want the one with the 'In God We Trust'. Laughter erupted.
MEMORABLE MOMENT
A second memorable moment, also including Shaggy, came midway his performance. After declaring that it was now time to deal with the lovers, the Grammy Award winning artiste brought out two buckets filled with red roses and began tossing flowers into the crowd.
A female fan who got into a tussle with her friends as she battled desperately to get one of roses, became the centre of attention as she planted loving kisses on the flower. As if to capitalise on the attention she had attracted, she cuddled the rose to her bosom and playfully closed her eyes.
And towards the end of the show, a seemingly intoxicated patron shouted a funny but sobering remark to Elmore, who is also a director of Summerfest Productions, which puts on Reggae Sumfest.
"Hey Walter, yu know onoo smart. Since the rich people dem won't come down to Sumfest onoo decide fe come to the hills fe dem," he slurred. "And a see onoo not wasting onoo time, because onoo a mek dem pay big money fe it."
And for those with a sense of occasion, there was a memorable moment when Shaggy said "it is now time to recognise the legends in the house" and John Legend suddenly appeared on stage with him.
