Adrian Frater, News Editor
Bushman doing his piece. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
HAD IT not been for the infractions of Fantan Mojah, whose utterances on stage sparked a bottle-throwing incident at the Llandilo Cultural Centre in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on Sunday morning, Western Consciousness 2005 would have been yet another success story.
While the Fantan Mojah incident, which was due to comments he made after his set was cut short in compliance with the grace period allowed by the police, put a damper on the show, for the true connoisseur of reggae music the earlier performances by the likes of Beres Hammond, Wayne Wonder, Bushman and John Holt should be cherished memories.
As he has been doing at Western Consciousnes for the past five years, the dapper Beres Hammond, nattily attired in a gold shirt and matching black pants and cap, offered complete satisfaction. He was at his vocal best as the fans sang, danced and screamed through classics such as, No Disrespect, She Loves Me Now, Double Trouble, Tempted to Touch, and Putting up Resistance.
ENCORE
Responding to the screams of 'more, more', Beres Hammond was quite potent with his encore. The tempo never dipped as, in addition to his own dazzling rendition of, No Shot Naa Bus and No Disturbance Sign , he got some vocal help from veteran singer Jimmy Riley, who joined him on stage and delivered a silky-smooth version of Conversation.
If there were any doubts that Wayne Wonder is now a bonafide international star, they were buried at Llandilo. In a performance in which he blended the old and the new, it was near pandemonium when he belted out songs such as his mega-hit No Holding Back and his vintage dancehall hits such as Bashment Girl and Forever Young. The encore he got was well deserved.
The veteran John Holt was in a mood to work and he gave it his all, earning the only double encore of the night. After sending the patrons into a dancing frenzy with Love I Can Feel, Tonight and Ali Baba, he went into overdrive in his first encore with Sweetie Come Brush Me and Tribal War. He then departed in grand style with On the Beach, Wear You To The Ball and Up Park Camp.
With only a few chances coming his way to work in Jamaica, Bushman decided to make the most of his Llandilo opportunity. It was like a master showman at his best, as the versatile singer danced around the stage mixing lyrics with snippets of social commentary.
It was a joy listening to Bushman's pleasing delivery as he covered Bob Marley's Hypocrite, in between dazzling with his own Tradition, Lighthouse and his sweet ballad, Downtown.
Of the other acts, Morgan Heritage and Taurus Riley added generously to the mix. Morgan Heritage, playing without the soulful female vocals of sister Una, had Peter and Gramps taking the lead in what was a superb set. Down By The River, with a new sounding mix, She's Still Loving Me and Don't Haffe Dread were exquisitely done.
Taurus Riley is a superstar in the making. His songs are lyrical gems and his delivery of Barber Chair, Larger Than Life, Don't Give Up and I Will be Your Friend are the kinds of efforts that quickly lead up the ladder to stardom.
The likes of Jah Mason, Chezedeck, I-Wayne and Turbulence, who appeared in unison prior to the Fantan Mojah debacle, all played short tight sets in keeping with the grace period allowed by the police, never got a real opportunity to sparkle. However, they did enough to keep their fans happy.
Singer Abdel Wright, the LMJ girls and female dub poet Marsha, who played early sets, never got the type of feedback from the audience to drive up their energy levels. As a consequence, they were good but not great.
