Singers honour Dennis Brown with soulful performances at Reggae Wednesdays
KINGSTON, Jamaica – After a two-year hiatus, ‘Reggae Wednesdays’ returned to the Reggae Month calendar this week and treated music lovers to soulful performances.
Different artistic elements of reggae were also on show, including art pieces, but the main attraction was the live concert which celebrated the career of the late Dennis Brown.
The segment showcased an eclectic mix of veterans and up-and-coming talents, each paying tribute to the iconic musical figure.
The acts all brought their A-game as they wooed the colourfully-cladded patrons from late evening till deep in the night.
Aquawba drummers kick-started the night’s proceedings as they set the mood right and had audiences ‘bussing a move’ with the thunderous sounds of their drums.
Young entertainers were also awarded the chance to impress-and that they did. Samantha ‘Rissa’ Williams followed the drummers with a performance accompanied by the steel pan on which she performed renditions of some of Brown’s biggest hits including ‘Here I Come’ and ‘Hold On To What You Got’.
Shanice Sewell quickly followed Williams and caught the eye of patrons with her voice as she also performed some of the Crown Prince’s greatest hits including beautiful rendition of ‘Should I’.
One-third’s Miguel also left an impression with a captivating performance. The former Digicel Rising Star contestant wooed patrons with his soothing voice and his stage presence had fans engaged from the beginning of his set.
Ras-l also graced the stage and the ‘Somewhere Wonderful’ singer performed his songs and paid tribute to Brown.
The penultimate performance had the energetic Chris Martin entertaining the crowd with his soothing voice and catalogue of hits. The 2005 winner of Digicel Rising Star made a lasting impression with his rendition of Brown’s biggest hit, ‘Revolution’. The ‘Big Deal’ singer’s performance had patrons dancing and singing along to the extent where he had the crowd begging for more when he left the stage with fans chanting ‘One more Chris!’
The night’s proceedings were concluded with a performance from George Nooks who also covered some of Brown’s hits.
The live concert allowed patrons the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate young and established reggae artistes whilst collectively demonstrating the love and appreciation for the contributions of Brown.
The series, staged by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), is set to continue for the remainder of February, Reggae Month.
