Of the endless string of Jamaican music imports landing here every other month for local entertainment, the presence of Freddie McGregor and Tarrus Riley was a rare blessing; a combination of fresh and enduring reggae sounds worth soaking up.
As the legendary McGregor navigated his “Big Ship” into Guyana on Saturday last at the ‘Best for Both Worlds’ concert, waves of conscious reggae vibes steeped in the inspiring sounds of Duane Stephenson splashed across the National Park, signalling the start of something memorable.
Stephenson’s voice is affecting and as his performance flowed it felt like a trip down Jamaican’s rough streets with glimmers of hope and plenty of love along the way. He bounced around the stage, his enviable dreadlocks flying in the night’s air, and his voice soared.
Singing tracks off his debut album ‘August Town’, he dished out a few known titles such as “Misty Mornings” and “Fairytale” with the massive crowd of largely older folks waiting to hear him croon the more popular hits. Chants of “August Town” came regularly, but the song never left the singer’s lips until he was ready to exit the stage.
Stephenson, who is touted as the voice of modern Jamaican reggae, largely lived up to the hype. His message of peace and hope were as simple as his garments. He dressed the part of a regular man on the street, but his voice betrayed his true talent.
Singing beautifully and connecting with the audience, Stephenson flirted around with a few playful tracks, before moving to his more romantic sounds such as “Cottage in Negril”, which is an amazing cover of the classic Tyrone Taylor 1980s song.
And as his time to exit edged closer, he started offering bits of the title track off his album, creating an expected frenzy in the park. The deeply moving track is a testimony of the singer’s life growing up in August Town, Jamaica, and no matter how many times it plays on radio or television, its powerful effect is always the same. Stephenson’s live performance on Saturday night was inspirational.
There is hardly any doubt as to whether Jamaican reggae is in good hands from watching Stephenson and he left the stage after soaking up a tremendous outpouring of appreciation.
But as good as he was it was the performer who followed him who put any doubt to rest as to whether modern reggae and its performers could ever measure up to the glorious past of reggae music.
With a solid act such as Stephenson to follow and a name as huge as Freddie McGregor still to come, Tarrus Riley probably had a lot riding on his shoulders, but he never showed it. In fact, he had nothing to prove, not with a voice as infectious and deeply moving as his and such lyrical prowess that is rarely seen in current reggae performances.
Riley of “She’s royal” fame delivered a witty and stirring performance that was punctuated with an occasional praise for, “the first black man in the White House”. He bounced on stage celebrating US President Barack Obama in true reggae style singing of how proud he was of Obama’s achievement, and the crowd ate it up. He could have exited the stage then and it probably would have been acceptable given the level of intensity and passion with which he sang.
But had he left then the show would have been robbed of a wonderful performance, which stretched from modern roots reggae into titles such as “System Set” and “Lion Paw” to the slower and more infectious, “My Baby” and “She’s Royal”. Riley’s wise and conscious songs floated across the park and whether persons were familiar with them or not, they were completed hooked.
By the time he was ready to perform the more recognisable hit Riley had offered up a sizable amount of tracks and even a brief sound clash with famed saxophonist, Dean Fraser. The two were back and forth playing and singing to determine who was better; Fraser easily won as he matched both beautifully and skilfully every tune Riley dished out.
“She’s Royal” was the anthem of the night and Riley soaked up the love that was gravitating his way. When he left the stage there was repeated calls for an encore and he returned to deliver a moving performance of his song, “Africa Waits”.
Riley even took time-out to bemoan domestic violence as he called on women to say no to men who strike them. He sang on the issue and decried the violence that women in Jamaica and around the world are facing at the hands of men.
And as expected the legendary McGregor ruled the stage as he anchored his ship in the park and crooned a sizeable collection of songs from his impressive catalogue of reggae hits dating back some three decades. He preached love and hope and sang of oppression and poverty, delivering an endless flow of conscious vibes.
Naturally, once he started a tune, the crowed joined it, singing every word with the Jamaican reggae star up until he changed songs. There was not a single tune that he performed that was not familiar.
As he began a new tune, chants of “Sing Freddie sing” rang out, but it was difficult to actually hear him sometimes because of the choir that assembled to sing along with him.
McGregor dished out hits such as, “I see it in you”, “I’ll do Anything”, “Sweet Lady”, “Peaceful Man”, “Stop Loving You”, “Get Serious”, “Poor is a Crime” and his famed “Big Ship”.
As the concert wrapped up well into Sunday morning with McGregor onstage and the park still largely crowded there was a sense that reggae lovers had the best of ‘both worlds’ as promoted.
But it appears that the best of ganja was also available there too because everyone at all corners of the park seemed to have been ‘lighting up’. Singer Duane Stephenson even sang about marijuana relating its attraction but serious consequences. (ianaseales@yahoo.com)
