Taurrus Riley Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Saturday night's 'The Occasion III', held at the Eastern Peace Centre, 121 Windward Road, St. Andrew, was an unreservedly hardcore affair, with fiery declarations by Rastafarians and graphic lyrics from 'baldheads'.
However, the audience, spread over the expansive grounds of the skating rink and business centre, showed appreciation of the gentler side of reggae from a few singers, even as they waited through a slew of performers and three pauses to adjust the sound until the daylight end, Ninja Man, Capleton, Mavado, Spragga Benz and promoter Sizzla among those in the closing stages.
With all the performers working to recorded tracks, a drum set onthe stage mute testimony to dead live expectations, Duane Stephenson sang of "real ghetto pressure" in the early going and there was a buzz as Taurrus Riley was introduced. Beware brought out the first flame of the night and Riley, after saying that some of those killing the youths are real sissies, adjusted the lyrics to sing "beware some bway a mogel inna frock, wid all tall fingernail an false eyelash", to again ignite the audience.
Stay With You went to the ladies, but the men showed appreciation as well. And squeals arose when Riley switched to "nobody don't want to see us together."
Lutan Fyah, Junie Platinum and Fantan Mojah came before Cocoa Tea, whose opening She Loves Me Now was met with a roar from the audience. In one of the more extended performances of the night, he delivered Tune In, Stand Up Straight and Buss Outa Hell, dropping a piece of Through The Years into the last. Good Life was again spot-on, on the lovers' side of things, Cocoa Tea crooning "it's a Saturday night and I ain't got nobody" and "oldies but goodies remind me of you" before returning to the original track to end.
From his opening Call The Hearse through Lighthouse, Downtown and Fia Pon a Weak Heart, Bushman's deep voice rolled over a welcoming audience and his wish to be "wrapped up in the arms of a woman" was sung by a chorale of male voices.
Outstayed the reception
Sugar Minott outstayed the warm opening reception to Mr. DC, coming on stage with a black bag over his right shoulder. From there, the pace thundered into the deejaying of Perfect, Anthony B and Teflon, Chuck Fender singing for Cherine Anderson on Coming Over Tonight and the audience filling in for Sasha as Turbulence smiled.
Etana's singing was off-key, but the audience still embraced Wrong Address very warmly. Da'Ville's Always on My Mind was interrupted when the CD player began acting up.
And after deejays Hawkeye, Delly Ranx, Ninja Man, Mr. Peppa, Bling Dawg, Mongo Honorebel, Spragga Benz, Lexxus, Einstein, Nesbeth and singer Ginjah, LA Lewis delivered a few unintelligible lyrics.
