Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Capleton hugs Red Stripe sales director, Karen Feliciann Brown, as they walk to the front of the stage at 'Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest Exclusive' on the lawns of Terra Nova Hotel, Waterloo Road, St. Andrew, on Wednesday night. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WHEN THE models lined up in Biggie fashions for their first outing at the Terra Nova Hotel on Wednesday evening, a few of them rocked to Capleton's On Top A Tings, played by DJ Sunshine.
And then Capleton himself walked on stage with a smile, hugged one lady in the line-up and both walked to the front of the stage, the green in the fiery one's outfit matching the green in hers. Arms swinging, Capleton walked off-stage, leaving the model with the microphone.
MINI SUMFEST STYLE STAGE
She turned out not to be a model but Karen Feliciann Brown, sales director of Red Stripe. "Tonight is about the artistes who have been selected to perform at Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest," she said to those gathered on the lawns of the Waterloo Road, St. Andrew, hotel, where a mini Sumfest style stage, though with a projection at the front to bring the models closer to the audience.
Quite a few of them, Elephant Man, Voise Mail and Leftside and Esco included, turned out for the artiste party approximately a month ahead of the 2006 staging of the annual festival, which runs from July 16-22 in Montego Bay, St. James, dubbed the 'Vibes City' for the event.
Sunshine started the party officially at a few minutes to 9:00 p.m., Welcome to Jamrock, Ain't Gonna See Us Fall, a dub plate of Handcart Boy and It's A Pity among the slower selections before she announced "mix-up time" and stepped up the pace with Elephant man. Buju stepped on the gas with a 'zoom zoom', the first puff of stage smoke came when Assassin declared As A Man and there was a 'wheel up' when he chanted "a no me mek yu catty waan stray".
DANIELLE GOT FEET WET
Just before the first flash of fashion there was a brief drizzle, damping the unprotected part of the stage. Danielle was not afraid to get her feet wet, taking off her shoes to step to the front of the stage. "Beenie Man not here, but me still a go represent," she said, deejaying at length before the dancehall doctor came in on record with "there's a brown girl in the ring". Danielle positioned and wiggled her black tights-clad posterior as she chanted "a de ghetto wuk me like", before Sunshine took back over on a slow note with Richie Spice's Min' Offa Mi.
The alternating dosages of music and fashion continued, models in Biggie fashions stepping out to Busy Signal before Alaine took the stage. Standing tall on her wedge heels, Alaine did the action to Wine, the uptempo dancehall continuing with I Would Do Anything For You and Baby You. The ladies especially sang along to the lover's rock No Ordinary Love before fashion once again hit the stage, the ladies of Elite showing swimsuits from Visuji.
The dutty wine of Tony Matterhorn and Elephant Man had given way to the grooves of 50 Cent when The Gleaner left the Terra Nova at 11:00 p.m.
