Ken Boothe - File

WESTERN BUREAU:

Veteran reggae crooner Freddie McGregor, Ken Boothe and Sugar Minott have yet another accomplishment to be truly proud of - that of being honoured with lifetime achievement awards.

The pioneers each received awards for their outstanding contribution to the reggae industry at the seventh annual Irie Jamboree reggae festival in Queens, New York, last weekend. Also in the mix of things was the talented singer, rapper and deejay, Shine Head.

Each performer was bestowed with his award at the conclusion of his performance. Shine Head, who was taken by surprise when he was presented with his award onstage, told the show's organisers and thousands of attendees: "Daddy Ken Boothe have fi get piece a dis (the award). Dis a nuh fi mi one," he said.

Good old days

Shine Head, who now lives in California, told the large throng that Boothe was responsible for his breaking into the music industry and reminisced on the good old days when "daddy Ken Boothe" would assist and encourage him to chart a path in the entertainment business.

After a long break from the international entertainment scene, Shine Head shocked thousands of fans, as he walked onstage bellowing some of the songs that catapulted him to stardom in the 1990s and blending them with some modern R'N'B and rap songs. It was clear that he had not lost touch with current trends and he delivered an electrifying performance.

On the flipside, Sean Paul performed to a "stiff' crowd. In spite of reeling off several of his popular tunes favoured by many, the Grammy winner had extreme difficulty connecting with the audience during his 30-minute slot.

Ken Boothe never seems to fail to please his fans. It was enjoyment non-stop from the second he walked onstage, skanking and reeling off hits after hits such as Puppet On A String and Song of the Sparrow.

The more mature audience was reliving the 1970s/'80s era as the ever cool Sugar Minott wasted no time in delivering a string of songs they once danced and sang along to. Minott was later joined onstage by his daughter Fire Pashon and her short stint was well received.

Short performance

Freddie McGregor and his sons Stephen and Chino gave a short performance, as they and several other artistes raced against time to avoid city authorities shutting down the festival if it exceeded the allotted time slot.

The always dapperly-dressed Pinchers had a field day onstage, while Gramps Morgan seized the opportunity to familiarise the crowd with tracks from his new album, Two Sides of My Heart.

Other artistes such as Etana, Canadian-based Steele, Bush Man, Assassin, Flippa Mafia, the raunchy Spice and Tony Rebel created a lasting impression on the audience.

Queen Ifrica, Laden and Tarrus Riley, had their performances cut short due to time constraints. Mr Vegas did not perform.

New York-based veteran dancehall deejay Mikey 'Mac Daddy' Jarrett, who in 1983 was crowned 'Dancehall King of Brooklyn', was given the New York Industry Award.

Sugar Minott - Contributed