Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Men wearing army fatigues pose for a photo during 'Celebration of Life', in Portmore, St. Catherine, last Friday. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer

There were quite a few men in United States (U.S.) Army desert camouflage and the ground underfoot was a bit craggy, but there was no green zone nor suicide bombers, one turbanned figure at El Rancho on Friday night waving a red, green and gold flag.

He was in green camouflage, as were a few other persons at the 'Celebration of Life', held in Dunbeholden, St. Catherine, in honour of Jamaican soldiers in the US Army who served in Iraq.

It was not a particularly lively affair in the early going (by dancehall standards) though, as close to 2:00 a.m. there were only a few people inside the bamboo stake confines on El Rancho and the music was in a roots rockers 'early groove' of Armageddeon and She Loves Me Now. There was a change to a run of Marley, including Who The Cap Fits, One Love and War, one thin lass in short camouflage skirt and matching sports top looking more suited to love.

Fire Links Sound, without Fire Links at the controls, took over, going up to 3:00 a.m. and went hip hop with Biggy Small, rocking the increased but still-small audience with It's Tha Party. Maxi Priest's Wild World got a 'forward', as did Strength of Your Love. But the selector was frustrated with those who were still in wait-and-see mode. "Who deh pon de outside, whe oonu a wait pon? Jus' negotiate wid de gateman, work out a small ting. We no start play tune till de inside full up," he said.

Big forward

Beware was the beginning of a series of Tarrus Riley dub plates which hit home and when Fire Links went into Busy Signal's These Are The Days the audience roared. The change of pace was definitely on, with Assassin's dismissal of the Sissy getting a big forward, the selector saying "Shebada fren, keep yu han' a yu side. Oonu whe deh pon de outside we naa wait pon oonu," the selector said and the dancehall party was on, the audience definitely larger but still nowhere large.

There is a narrow canal in which water flows outside El Rancho, but it was the Gully Side of Mavado which tore the house and the following Kartel getting three forwads on his home Portmore ground. When Spragga commanded No Touch It, Touch It the lighters again went up; when Beenie Man mused A Ghetto Suppen, they cheered.

The women, many of whom were already doing the exquisite push and wine, legs spread and centre of gravity low, got extra encouragement from Lady Saw and Lexxus with Good Hole, even as the selector pleaded "please, oonu come offa de road nuh? Negotiate a ting wid dem gateman".

Stuck

Hard Rock took over at just past 4:00 a.m., the dip in sound quality very noticeable even as the audience responded to Rise to the Occasion. Love and Affection literally turned over El Rancho. The CD player got stuck a few times and Hard Rock got stuck in a place of little response during their set, as they switched to the R&B of To The Left, but picked up back with Sizzla declaring "no, no, no, no way" before handing over to Six Killer.

With the light of day showing faintly to the east, above the lights of Kingston's hillside dwellers, they went straight into current dancehall with Bad Man Place and Bad From Mi Born, a few repeats among their selections. And when the performances finally began, they were cut short, the promised big name not taking to the small stage at the 'Celebration of Life'.