By Monique Murray, Gleaner WriterIF VIBRANT young people, a good time and building a vibe for Jesus is what you were looking for last Friday evening, then The Scroll album launch at Prayz House on Maxfield Avenue, St. Andrew, was the place to be.
When The Gleaner arrived at 10 p.m. the featured artiste Leroy Smith, formerly of the Grace Thrillers was on-stage. He too was promoting his album, Transformation.
The evening's MC, Canute 'Neil' Ellis, explained that The Scroll was all about expressing the gospel the way the various artistes on it felt God wanted them to. There were shouts of agreement from the patrons.
Timothy, opened the launch with his up-beat tune Bright Days and Chevron smoothly went into, Mi Glad Yuh Nuh. Singer Dwayne Anthony joined them on-stage and did quite a job of helping to kick things off for the evening's line-up with No More.
Diva of gospel, Lady Junie, proudly proclaimed that she made her name as a secular artiste but now she has changed her message and is now deejaying for Jesus. Then she went into her number, Amen.
REAL KATTY
The 'sanctified' were not at all prepared for Carl Gregory's Real Katty, there were more than a few raised eyebrows until shouts of 'Pull up!' after which, MC Neil took the microphone and said "Yuh haffi explain yu tune." Gregory then went into his performance full throttle, "Mi want a real katty... nuh waan nuh fairytale ting". It was later understood that he was saying he wanted a real Christian young woman for a wife, and the song spoke of the qualities he was looking for. There were calls for an encore, but it was not forthcoming.
There were performances by other artistes such as DJ Nicholas with his song Look At How Dem Running, the talented Latoya Hall with Fly Away Home, St Matthew's with Who Yu Gonna Live For and Running but You Can't Hide featuring Zela Mac. There was also a great vocal performance from Marie Jackson entitled None Shall Escape The Judgement.
The Scroll promises to be a good album but certainly not for the closed-minded. True to their promise, it is indeed a different expression of the gospel, not for the spiritually immature. But not to worry, the message has not changed.
Their radical expressions were also evident in the artistes' dressing. St. Matthew, who sported an afro, told the audience not to judge a Christian by how he/she chooses to dress. "Mek God change di look and di dressing," he said.
The launch was closed by Samantha Gooden with the dub piece, A Better Way. An altar call was given and two people went forward for prayers.
The floor was then opened for anyone who wanted to freestyle and the crowd was still calling for an encore of Gregory's Real Katty.
