Dancehall continues to dominate the local live entertainment scene as two of the genre’s best turned in powerful performances at the recently concluded Guinness Pull Up event.

Scores of music lovers flooded Stadium East on Friday night and were treated to satisfying sets from Armanii and Govana, who expertly worked the stage in a masterful display of raw talent.

With a burst of energy, Armanii entered the stage belting out the lyrics to his popular hit, Haad (Fiesta). It was a full-on ‘fiesta’ from that moment on as the crowd danced and sang along to his every selection. Instructing his female fan base to “shake and bounce”, the entertainer did exactly what was necessary to elevate the vibes as he segued into a rendition of his track, JUMP. The ladies obliged as they made space to put on a performance of their own. Some of them expertly manoeuvred the area to perform acrobatic splits and aerial jumps. Rough Patch and Potential were also among the tracks the entertainer delivered in his brief but energetic set as he catered to the ladies before making way for fellow entertainer, Govana.

The crowd was electrified even further as the Breeze deejay delivered an hour’s worth of fiery hits. Also paying special attention to the ladies, Govana served up tracks such as Bake Bean, Dozen + 10, Gyal Clown, and Hot Topic. But it was his spontaneous dance competition mid-set that made the most impact.

The segment which showcased the authenticity of dancehall saw ladies competing for an undisclosed cash prize. Four brave contestants made their way centre stage armed with their best dance routines, as they performed to his widely-popular track, Mawning Sir. The competition elicited cheers from the audience, who were now fully-captivated, even more so after being tasked with selecting a winner at the end. However, the competition was just too fierce to declare a winner, and so all four ladies walked away with a cut of the cash.

Although both entertainers delivered top-notch performances to take the entertainment offerings to new heights, they were not the only ones on their A-game. Countless selectors set the tone early on in the night’s proceedings, proving that Guinness Pull Up was no ordinary show. It may not have been a full-on sound clash, but the night’s entertainment package saw selectors going head to head as they churned out one several popular dancehall selections.

The inspiration behind the event then came to the fore as the crowd was encouraged to ask selectors to rewind or “pull up” a selection if it struck the right chords. That element added a level of excitement to the event that mirrored what happens in the dancehall.

The night’s selectors included DJ Banka, Shukkle Buss, DJ Black Boi, DJ Russian and Curtisy, Rockwildaz and Simple Touch.

According to Lasana Wilson, junior brand manager, Guinness, the format seemed to have connected with Friday’s crowd so much so that the corporate entity is contemplating making Guinness Pull Up a staple on the live entertainment calendar.

“Guinness… [has] a core following extending from Guinness Sounds of Greatness, and so it was very easy to transfer that audience to this event. And, based on the success, we have so much more in store,” he said. “Guinness is heavily rooted in the Jamaican culture and we usually optimise every opportunity to strengthen that connection, and so we’re now looking to see how we can bring this event across the island within the coming months. So we’re thinking St Elizabeth, Montego Bay, maybe even Portland.”