The National Park was transformed in a ‘daggerin’ zone’ last Saturday when Jamaican Dancehall group RDX visited Guyana compliments of King Scorpion and Guinness promotions.
Renegade (Carlton Williams) and Delomar (Andre Bedward) called RDX, who are known for the creation of dances, came into being in 2006 producing several hits or ‘dancers’ anthems’ for dancehall groupies worldwide. RDX, just like many other dancehall singers from Jam-yard, has now taken up the new trend – daggerin’ – and has taken it to a new level.
Daggerin’, the simulation of rough sexual intercourse on the dance floor, seemed to be the theme of the RDX show last Saturday.
Things started out relatively calmly as the group took to the stage just after midnight.
Just prior, dancer ‘Bermuda Kid’ came out and sent the young crowd into frenzy with his moves. Dancing to tunes by other Jamaican singers being played by King Scorpion sounds, Bermuda Kid showed all the new dances.
After his performance, which lasted approximately ten minutes, RDX appeared and the crowd erupted. The group responded by getting right down to business; singing its 2007 hit tune “Dance”.
The name of the song alone tells it all and for those who didn’t know the moves, Bermuda Kid led and they followed.
Next was “Everybody Dance”, the sequel to the first song and this continued for quite some time much to the enjoyment of the crowd.
But RDX kept saying between tunes, “People wait til the daggerin’ segment come….it gon get mad up in yah sah tonight”. This brought loud cheers from the crowd and one fan gushed: “Oh gosh! I can’t wait fuh dem start dah daggerin’”.
A few more new singles were performed and at one time, police officers on duty asked RDX to tone down some of the graphic lewd language. The group complied, telling the audience, “de police tell we watch de bad words, but we can dagger still.” Cheers again from the crowd as they anticipated the ‘daggerin’ segment’.
And then finally just after 1 am, the madness began.
“Me wan see girls, nice sexy girls. All of unno, come up on the stage,” RDX shouted and women of all sizes and shapes obeyed.
The first song, “Ben Ova” saw them all in motion like the song required and then the artistes and their dancers ‘daggered’ them from behind.
This trend continued for the rest of the night. Eventually, some of the people, mostly women, who turned up to be part of the daggerin’, left way before the show was completed. One was overheard complaining: “Oh gosh dah is too much fuh me. I tired with de daggerin’ ting. No wonder dem people deh ban dem.”
The activity on stage was rated ‘R’, maybe even ‘X’.
But people had different opinions and for some it was just what they asked for and more.
The performance on Saturday last showed exactly why many radio and television stations across the Caribbean, even right here in Guyana, have chosen to ban all explicit references to sex and violence over the airwaves.
The show ended just after 2 am and an after party was held at the Blue Iguana night club, where it was said, the daggerin’ would continue.
However, the view of this reporter is that there was no need for the daggerin’; take that away and the show would have been a blockbuster as RDX showed versatility.
Self professed Guyanese star Fojo and Little African entertained early on, with a few of their hits and also used the opportunity to familiarize their home crowd with a few of their new songs.
