Thousands spent an unforgettable Sunday morning as king of the dancehall, Beenie Man, international R&B singer, Bobby Valentino and Jamai-can dancehall songstress, Spice created an hour and a half frenzy that rocked the tarmac of the Guyana National Stadium.
The feature performances of the ‘Easter Fest’ concert kicked off with Jamaican superstar, Spice, taking to the stage at just about 2 am yesterday. Spice’s performance which included her hit song ‘Jim Screechie’ elevated the crowd to an all time high. During her act, the entertainer called on a male fan to join her on stage and demonstrate what Guyanese men are capable of. Ivelaw Compton, popularly known as ‘Granny Ivelaw’ rose to the occasion and dominated the stage. It was obvious that he left quite an impression on the Jamaican artiste.
Despite Spice’s brief performance, which was less than 30 minutes, she drew major support from female fans at the concert. Speaking with Stabroek News after the show, the artiste stated that she didn’t like the fact that they rushed her off the stage so soon but added that overall it was a great show.
“The show was off the chain, I had fun even though they were speeding up my time, I did good and the people love it and that’s the greatest thing, I come deliver so that’s good,” she said. When asked if she was going to return to Guyana anytime soon, the dancehall star said “Definitely, definitely, this ah meh place!”
Beenie Man was perhaps robbed of being “the girls’ dem sugar” as Bobby Valentino – whose act followed Spice’s – was unquestionably the ladies man of the night. The singer, who mellowed the tempo of the concert with his seductive lyrics, scored a major feedback from the audience and later called upon one special lady to accompany him on stage. This fan was treated to a song by the ‘Slow Down’ hit-maker. This brought loud cheers from the audience, with one fan gushing, “Oh my God, I can’t believe it. She is so lucky!”
Women were seen flocking to the front of the stage, reaching out for the artiste’s hand, hoping for a chance to just touch Bobby. Three women climbed on top of speakers placed directly in front of the stage for a better view. One of them at one point grabbed the entertainer’s clothing, attempting to pull him closer. This caused the artiste to pause for a brief moment but he continued his performance without much reference to the act.
Valentino’s performance abruptly came to an end making way for Beenie Man at approximately 2:45am.
The self professed ‘King of the Dancehall’ lived up to the title, causing an uproar among his fans from the moment he made his way onstage. Beenie Man was heard long before he was seen causing the frenzied audience to react. The crowd roared upon hearing his voice, creating quite an entrance for the king. Elaborately dressed, like he usually is, the dancehall sensation brought excitement to the Stadium as patrons were seen everywhere with their bodies in motion.
The Jamaican went old school at the beginning of his performance with some of his earlier hits and later belted out more of his current tracks. Throughout the performance more female patrons were seen jumping onto the speakers, and moving to the sound of the Jamaican’s voice.
Approximately 45 minutes later, at 3:30am, the dancehall sensation took a bow and made his way off the stage.
Patrons were earlier entertained by Chutney singers, Terry Gajraj and Mahendra Ramkellawan with Ramkellawan’s ‘Dem a watch meh’ creating a ruckus within the crowd. Trinidadian song-stress, Patrice Roberts from the HD Band, then added a soca flare to the Easter Fest with popular hits like ‘Tempa Wine’ and ‘Wukkin Up’.
