Beres Hammond isn’t just the soulful crooner from Jamaica we’ve grown to love all these years; he is a God-like figure posing as a man. What else explains the authority with which he commands a stage, the influential effect of his lyrics and the legion of followers?
“I see love from a distance…” keeps playing like a broken record in my ears and I just can’t seem to shake this obsessed feeling I have with Beres Hammond after seeing him in concert in what was truly ‘a moment in time’ over the Easter weekend.
Say Beres and you’re likely to draw a smile from me, but hum a few words from any of the songs from his extensive, enviable catalogue and I’ll just break into a sway; head bobbing and hips moving. This man could have easily been my high school crush and I daresay guilty pleasure, even now.
The plug for his concert here was perfect, “There are shows, there are concerts and then there is Beres Hammond live…” The distinction ought to be made for Beres isn’t [thankfully] the flavour of the month or the year with one hit song or maybe two coming to these shores to entertain us; he is one of the most gifted singers this region has ever produced.
As entertainment here and the region seemed focused on one controversy after another, ranging from the violent and homophobic lyrics of some performers to the most recent ‘cake-soap’ issue involving Jamaica’s Vybz Kartel, the Beres concert was not only welcome but timely. Timely because he represents an era when music was loved because of the positive vibes and not the controversy, and more importantly, an era when the sounds were golden, the music made sense and it was just simply good.
Beres cruised onto the stage at the National Stadium on Monday morning last after what seemed like ages waiting for him to put in an appearance, and masterfully steered the enormous crowd through two hours of what is unarguably some of the best music ever produced anywhere, period.
Beres is believed to be the most unappreciated star of his generation but whether he is acknowledged as he should, the quality of his music and the loyalty of his fan base testifies to his musical genius. And then there are the conscious, beautiful lyrics and that voice of his!
He appeared on stage here looking his usual self: leather cap, white shirt, which flew open after a while with a bit of chest hair visible from behind the white vest. Cued by his band, Harmony House out of Jamaica, Beres flashed a little smile before breaking into song. He belted out a few words and the crowd went wild. An estimated 19,000 people attended the concert which explains the electric atmosphere throughout his stay on the stage. It was pretty obvious why the people turned up and as Beres sang, the multitude dished out the lyrics with him.
His first hour on stage flew by without people even noticing because the sweet sounds had everyone so wrapped up checking the time was negligible. Beres has this effect on you when he is performing which erases the distance between him and the fans, and it creates the feeling that he is singing to you personally.
Beres tore through hit after hit feeding the masses classics such as, “Can’t Stop A Man”; “They Gonna Talk”; “She Loves Me Now”; “Love From A Distance”; “Sweet Lies”; “Rock Away”; “Who Say (Big Man Nuh Cry)”; “What One Dance Can Do” and “I Feel Good”, among countless others. Some of the songs dated back to a time when half of those in attendance weren’t even conceived, but his music transcends.
His soft, at-times bedroom vocals have a haunting effect on women, particularly when he is grooving with the lover’s rock numbers, and he was well in that element on Monday morning. He declared during the performance that it was, “lover’s night”, but called on the women who turned up without partners to, “Love Beres for the night”.
Without going into what, “Love Beres for the night” did to some women and sharing its effect from a personal standpoint, Beres had the women eating out of his hands. There he was, standing on the stage looking better than most men his age and belting out these unforgettable tunes in a rich, silky voice. By the time he was through the atmosphere had simmered into a soft, controlled adoration for the man on the stage. “Beres delivered”, a fan said as she stumbled out of the stadium and she was precise. If only I can add, that he always delivers.
Warming things up before the live acts started, Fusion Sound System played mood music. The DJs warned that there would be no dancehall, “no Kartel, no Gaza, no Gully, no Beenie Man,” and they were true to that.
Mingles Sound Machine entertained next, controlling the stage with the slick performance that the band has become synonymous with.
The Heat Wave band was next and while the group was good, the singers’ playlist included songs already covered by Mingles and the crowd grew restless; waiting to see the big acts.
Prior to Beres’ appearance on the stage, Jamaican songbird, Alaine took control of the show and powered her way through a 40-minute stay on the stage. Radiant and sporting a hot new hairdo, the singer beautifully belted out her well-known songs and performed a new song, called, “Mama’s prayers”.
Alaine not only looked confident, she was confident and it strengthened her performance. Her vocals stunned the audience when she held long notes, and just about every song she performed she inserted the word, “Guyana” in there somewhere.
Regrettably, Guyanese songbird, Timeka Marshall paled in comparison. It must be said that Timeka is talented; there is no doubt about that, but someone needs to introduce Timeka to a local band and insist that she works along with them. It is clear from her uncomfortable posture and at times shaky vocals that she needs to build confidence and that she needs help when she is up there.
And whoever is managing Timeka needs to explain why there is no real push for her latest single. Where is the video for that song? It is probably the best piece of work she has done to date. Where are the back-up dancers and back-up singers when she takes to the stage?
Timeka continues to take to the stage solo without any backup and it is not working out. That said, her voice is sounding so much better live!
GT&T’s CEO Yog Mahadeo introduced Beres. Dressed down in a white ‘Beres’ t-shirt and dark pants he said GT&T – the major sponsor of the ‘Moment in Time’ concert – was very pleased to be associated with bringing Beres to Guyana. But as he wrapped up to clear the way for the feature performer, Hits & Jams’ Kerwin Bollers took the opportunity to ask the crowd to request that GT&T bring another huge name for Jam Zone in August. R Kelly, Usher, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Beyonce were among the names thrown up.
To sum things up; it was one hell of a show! It would be interesting to see whether any artiste, regional or international could match what Beres Hammond did on that stage on Monday morning last. Know what I think? Not in this lifetime but I’d like to see them try. (ianaseales@yahoo.com)
