Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Hezron in performance.
Performing primarily for the camera can be a difficult thing, especially when the artistes are many and the 'lens time' short.
As such, last Friday's 'Lover's Rock' edition of cable station Juice TV's weekly showcase during 'Reggae Month' had its constrictions beforehand. This was compounded by the sparse audience which, by and large, did not provide the explosive applause necessary for not only a good recording, but also a good live setting.
And, for quite a few, the love theme was not quite the focus.
Albarosie, who will be performing this Friday, was the host and youngster Culture Jameil was deejaying to recorded tracks, as did all the night's performers, past midnight. "Me sing a whole heap a good tune, but people no believe seh a me write it," he said, proceeding to deejay that his lyrics "nuff like people a Stadium".
In keeping with 'Black History Month', he did a piece declaring his pride in being black.
Slow groove
Male harmony quartet A2O took the night on the slow reggae groove path, asking the ladies Can I take You? A spot of deejaying came on the mix. Coordinated movement accompanied the request "smile for me once more", individual members stepping forward for their sections.
Never Gonna Change was on the really slow side, A2O holding the harmonies after the music had finished. They closed with an unfortunately inappropriate song to a lady, harmonising "I don't want to see your stinking face no more/Girl you make me sick/Get away from me you crazy witch!"
Chokey Taylor questioned "Jah, have you forgotten me?" and sang to the Woman In My Life, but it was Brahyhan Art whose recognisable song wrung the spontaneous cheers from the audience on the first line, leading to a restart. Some duly shouted "Yeah!" as the song requested. "The next track was, unfortunately, inspired by something negative, like despair. But we turn it into positive and make a positive song," Art said before starting Get It.
It, too, got a very positive response, restart and all.
Sorry baby
Singer Oliver Smoothe performs at Lover's Rock, last Friday's installment of the weekly 'Reggae Month' showcase at the Jonkanoo Lounge, Hilton hotel, New Kingston. - Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer
Aaron Silk's voice was strong and clear as he vocally trod "on the righteous path to Jah". The apologetic side of love was on his mind with Sorry Baby and he continued in the love-song mode, singing of commitment with "coming home, coming home to you, it's just the simple things you do".
His older brother, Garnet, was not forgotten, Splashing Dashing among a closing medley of his songs.
There was a single song from Standpipe, a remake of Foreign Mind with Junior Reid on the recorded track.
It was left for Dez I to close off the night, the already small audience greatly reduced, but that did not affect his work rate as he started off uptempo with "she invited me out to the movies". He took advantage of the closing slot to do more material than previous performers, his melodic approach hitting home with the few. The cheers went up as he deejayed "I was rolling in from west" and Dez I duly restarted the marijuana ode.
Declaring that Rasta loving is powerful and strong, Dez I deejayed that "it goes on and on" . "Yu eva get a text message from a lady yu no know?" he asked. There was no response and Dez I said, "Nutten nah gwaan inna some man life."
"Jamaica jus a learn bout Dez I," he said, before the uptempo end, in which he did a combination of shaking his short locks and wiggling his hips for a pair of ladies at the front.
Hyah Slyce, Pharebel, Hezron and Oliver Smoothe also performed on Friday night.
