No rust on Chaka Demus & Pliers
The multi-award-winning pair of Chaka Demus & Pliers were in fine form as they headlined the event in their honour, Murder She Wrote, at Plantation Cove in St Ann on Saturday, April 29.
While the crowd in attendance was not particularly large for an event featuring names of the calibre of Tanya Stephens, Leroy Sibbles, and Richie Spice, those on hand were clearly lovers of the genre of reggae and took full advantage of the more intimate setting to get up close and personal with the artistes.
“The crowd that came out, came out to see us all, so they loved what we had to give them tonight,” said Pliers, one half of the famous pair.
The two hit the stage and never looked back, drawing fans in like a moth to a flame the second Chaka Demus’s distinctive baritone vocals were heard with his opening number One Scotch.
From classics like Jump Up and Young Gal Business all the way to the certified hits that brought them international fame such as Tease Me, Bam Bam, and the iconic Murder She Wrote, the duo performed them all with flawless tone and pace.
“We did an excellent job,” the pair told the Jamaica Observer.
Delighted fans, still energised by the previous performances, stayed close to the stage, dancing up a storm while revelling in the amount of interaction available to them. Patrons would go from one moment of recording the events on their phones to being serenaded by Pliers, to having Carlene “Dancehall Queen” Smith join them onstage to relive the glory days of 90s dancehall culture. Having not performed before a live audience in over three years, Chaka Demus & Pliers made the most of the night.
The duo shared with the Observer that they are working on new album.
“It’s actually finished, just needing the finishing touches to fine-tune it. We’re trying to build it in a different way that different people will find music on it they will love,” they shared.
With their worldwide success already on the books, the pair see no reason to rush.
“I couldn’t know we’d be so successful because you can’t tell the future, but from you do good music you can expect anything,” said Chaka Demus.
His musical partner Pliers had an opposite take on their achievements.
“At 12, 13, I used to love music. And I said to myself, I wanted to make a song to the whole, entire world. It was just in my head,” added Pliers.
So said, so done with Murder She Wrote, a single from their internationally released album Tease Me, being certified gold in the United Kingdom and etched in the psyche of music lovers everywhere.
The two closed the night strong with an encore demanded by the audience.
While Chaka Demus & Pliers were the stars for the night, they were well-supported by other artistes on the programme. For example, Tanya Stephens kept the female audience members in high spirits as she wove personal tales of life and love between her extensive catalogue for one cohesive narrative through her strong set. And Richie Spice had no problem connecting with the crowd using his conscious lyrics.