Christmas 2008 in Retrospect

Groundins

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

As the saying goes, if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. So it was, that on Boxing Day, when for the very first time, the Warlord takes the stage at Sting and calls for peace. He is unceremoniously booed off, cutting his performance short. In keeping with other recent comments from him, Bounty Killer had just declared that he draws the line at making derogatory remarks about people’s mothers, declining to follow Vybz Kartel down that road. Having however, played a substantial role in destroying the moral compass in Dancehall lyrics, and with his fans expecting him to carry the fight as usual, they were not sympathetic to any truce in the war of words (and more) between the Alliance and Empire camps, and aggressively showed their displeasure.

It makes me wonder if the incident involving some in Beenie Man’s crew at Reggae Campfire, held on December 31, had anything to do with Beenie’s declaration of family ties to Kartel, announced during his performance at Sting. To many, this was a sure indication that Beenie was taking sides in the ongoing feud. But then, it shouldn’t surprise anybody- for reference, the symbolic sequence of events that we can all point to which began Kartel’s split from the Alliance, was his presence at the wedding of Beenie and D’Angel and performance at Beenie’s Summer Sizzle in 2006 and then his collaborations with both D’Angel (Baby Father) and Beenie Man (Breast Specialist) in early 2007.

Worthy of note, some of the backing musicians that worked at Sting informed me that Kip Rich got the loudest and Beenie Man, the most sustained responses from the audience. Ironically it seems that the clash between Mavado and Vybz fizzled into a lewd draw. One has to give Vybz his ‘props’, however for the use of gimmickry-, his dramatic entrance with the coffin labeled ‘RIP Barber Boy, 2006-2008’ took the cake, in a creative technique reminiscent of Ninja Man. Also, did any one take notice of the contrasting styles of dress? What does it mean that Mavado portrayed a sniper, while Vybz portrayed a guerilla fighter?

On the business side of Sting, Howard McIntosh told me that this year’s audience at Sting was the largest in many years. Do you wonder why? Is it because of their advertising thrust? They did go back to basics and advertised and promoted the clash hard. Yet, the audience was very appreciative of an Etana in that mix. Or did Sting naturally fill the void created by the absence of other traditional live events that were cancelled this year?

Beres Hammond’s A Moment In Time at the National Stadium on December 28, lived up to expectations and even went beyond. The synergy between the audience and the orchestra under the expert musical direction of Dean Fraser, was simply amazing. The two weeks of rehearsal paid rich dividends and they delivered a musical feast that can best be described as joyous. While Freddie McGregor was obviously suffering from hoarseness, his performance was still very appreciated by the approximately 7,000 patrons in attendance. Beres’ surprise guest artiste, Freddie Jackson, fit the bill and had his fans singing along to the string of hits he belted out in his stint onstage.

This event, in only two years of its existence, has quickly become the standard bearer for excellence in live concerts. The sophisticated set design by Martin Lewis, greatly enhanced the visual impact. The production’s novel use of graphics, displayed on mini screens onstage and the larger side screens off-stage, to announce each act rather than the traditional approach of using an emcee, eliminated the standard lags between acts and allowed for a continuous flow of music.

Each new act, followed the previous on-stage on cue, as the musicians played their overtures. Except for the intermission, from the moment the first act, the Mighty Diamonds entered the stage, it was great non-stop music for four and a half hours. Caliber artistes like Barrington Levy, John Holt, Toots, Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths and U-Roy (who said he was unrehearsed but was spurred by the other performances to come and pay tribute) all gave much love and outstanding performances. When it was Beres’ turn, he started with a bang and from then on, could do no wrong. Word for word they sang along. Beres’ was obviously in a playful mood.

The tongue in check comments which he made in between his singing, thrilled his fans almost as much. They were constantly breaking out in laughter. Some of these comments reflected the parlous state of our economy and society in general, with its prevailing dependency syndrome and the consequent travails of a successful artiste like Beres, as he relates to his community.

On the entertainment circuit, other big hits over the holidays were the all-inclusive theme parties like Renaissance Christmas Eve All White Party, Absinthe at Temple Hall Estate; Destination London at Argyle Avenue, New Kingston; French Connection at the New Kingston Golf Academy and the crème de la crème, Frenchmen at the Caymanas Golf Club.

After a long season like this, one really has to pay tribute to the various crews that set-up the temporary infrastructure necessary for these major productions. From the technical crews who are responsible for stage, light and sound, to those that erect dance floors, tents, decks, skyboxes and install portolets, and the fabulous decorators, there is a tight band of professional, efficient people that have to work long, hard hours to create these events. Sometimes, this requires working up to 72 hour stretches at a time. This is not just extraordinary commitment and sacrifice, but is unthinkable in any other industry and therefore their work and contribution to our pleasure should be acknowledged and appreciated.

Email: che.campbell@gmail.com

Host: Jamaica Observer, Sunday, January 04, 2009 - Christmas 2008 in Retrospect by Charles H.E. Campbell