Celebrating Chaka Demus and Pliers with Murder She Wrote
Come Saturday, April 29, Murder She Wrote, starring Chaka Demus and Pliers, with supporting cast Tanya Stephens, Leroy Sibbles, and Richie Spice, will thrill audiences in recognition of the musical styling of the duo.
Scheduled for Plantation Cove in St Ann, the event is promoted by Coveside Concerts.
Murder She Wrote was one of five singles from the duo’s album Tease Me (later renamed All She Wrote for the international and US markets), which charted on the British pop singles chart.
Released 31 years ago, the single Murder She Wrote topped charts locally and eventually crossed over to the British pop chart peaking at number 27. It was also a hit in the United States, reaching number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 39 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart, and number 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. It has been certified gold in the UK for sales exceeding 400,000 units.
Vonnie Koromanti, attorney-at-law for Chaka Demus and Pliers, told the Jamaica Observer that the concert is a significant investment.
“This is millions and millions of Jamaican dollars. I wish to be transparent, marketing alone for this one concert, if it is to be done properly, we are looking at about $30 million. Think about the technicians, the creative input, the property, the municipal licences, the police, the parish council permits, those are some of the expenses people don’t know about. We have no true financial sponsor. All of this is an investment from the Coveside Concert team. If we could get some collaborators then it would make this go further,” said Koromanti.
She is of the opinion that the accomplishments of the two have gone unnoticed.
“I have a good vantage point of their accomplishments. From 2021 to 2023 we’ve got various requests from around the world to sample their music. And I thought, hmm, I am also the creative counsel for Plantation Cove and creative director for Coveside Concerts. So I thought I’ll just pull everything together and celebrate Chaka Demus and Pliers, not just as clients, because I am also a fan,” Koromanti disclosed in an interview shortly after the media launch last Friday at Devon House.
Said Koromanti, “If so many people around the world can see the value of Murder She Wrote, I imagine that it is just fitting that we, as Jamaicans, give Chaka Demus and Pliers the respect that they do deserve. I wanted to pull the best of the 1960s coming straight up and to present Murder She Wrote with Chaka Demus and Pliers and a supporting cast.”
