He is not called “Mr Fete” by chance and on Saturday night last, Machel Montano demonstrated to Guyanese that there is an artiste who can give an over three hours of energy-laced dynamic performance stopping only because of his tired and soaked fans.
Soca’s King burst on to the stage in a capacity filled Providence Stadium shortly after 1am, to begin a performance nothing short of stellar as the Pulse Entertainment entity brought to Guyana its Summer Fete Show.
Erotically clad, four female backup dancers and two males followed and from the first bellowing of “ADVANTAGE!” Montano’s HD band and the crowd erupted into a stomping frenzy taking ‘advantage’ of the stage in front of them.
Waving flags, rags, shoes, and whatever was near, a stadium of mostly skimpily clad patrons began gyrating to the songs such as “Pump Yuh Flag”, “Advantage”, and others. Then came his famous “Mr Fete” and liquid began to rain from bottles and cups of attendees, but that seemed only to act as an energizer to most. A few seemingly upset patrons took to dodging the ‘rain’, complaining of soiled clothes, but as the saying in Guyana goes, ‘If you go to crab dance, you have to expect to get mud.’
Demonstrating what thousands of fans were experiencing, a fete-to-sweat, at one stage Machel, wrung his T-shirt of what the heat of his performance had produced… and there was no rain.
Only to add to rapidly rising adrenalin levels was Machel’s sidekick Nappy who did anything but ‘surrender’ to his lyrics. At times interchanging with the Soca King he took patrons back to hits like “Chipping down de Road”, “You Make Me” , “Go Brave and Flirt” among others.
Taking his audience back in time, to the year 1985, Machel prompted singing of his first famed song “Too Young to Soca” and sang for him his fans did. Again, working his audience he called for on stage participation by two Guyanese females who could show him how “GT women wuk it”. They, he said, would be given the opportunity to win two tickets to any destination Caribbean Airlines flies, but this was not motivator enough for the shy female crowd. This prompted a Canadian citizen taking to the stage telling Montano she wanted to show him “How white girls wine”. Her un-rhythmic movements brought tons of laughter but in the end she was the last one laughing her way to the destination of her choice all paid for.
A very petite and agile young woman took to the stage and when she was done Machel jocularly concluded that he would make Guyaha his home as not only can the women cook but they can “wine”.
He gave a Guyanese touch to Sparrow’s “Congo Man” substituting Congo man for “GT Buck” in the very suggestive lyrics much to the entertainment of all who were singing in unison with this year’s Trinidadian Carnival Monarch.
Enter Patrice Roberts! She showed her ‘temper wine’ and sang to the approval of a partying crowd, “More Wuk”, “Groovy” and “Light it Up” with Machel and the band giving her all the support she needed.
While many were gearing up to leave a concert at 3.15 am Montano declared, as he pointed to the sky that he wasn’t leaving until the sun came up, and instructed the crowd to start palancing. Attendees were given dancing instructions as with each song came a different move and at this point the ladies did not care who their partner was they began wining, backballing and any other instruction given by the king. Some climbed on coolers, some on their partners’ necks but all of them, as if possessed by the up-tempo music, danced as if it was the last day it would be legal to.
At 4 am on Sunday, Machel’s performance came to an end with the same high energy he had three hours prior opened to and he informed fans that he still was not through as he was off to the Palm Court nightclub for the day clean “Bachannal.”
Meanwhile, prior to Machel taking the stage, familiar chutney star Ravi B and his Karma band gave a breathtaking prelude to what was to come. Singing “Dulari Nanny” and “Player” along with many other songs known to their Guyanese chutney fans they thrilled the audience. Their female member Nesha delivered not only chutney lyrics but popular dancehall tunes such as “Bruk It Down” and “Hot Wuk”.
Everyone this newspaper asked for an oral review of the show had only positives. Visitor Asha Scott summed it up best. With six inch wedges in hand and limping to her vehicle she said, “Machel rocked! Whoever comes next better come good because so far all other artists combined, this one stands out and will be the show to which all others are judged.”
There were no reported incidents associated with the event, patrons leaving only with the rhythms in their ears until Machel mashes Guyanese soil again.
