Two times the tunes
SATURDAY’S viewing party for DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic: BET Afterparty 2022 turned into an impromptu live concert as several acts took to the stage at the end of the televised programme.
The occasion was held at Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records in St Andrew.
“Tonight was a mind-blowing experience. To be here in Kingston where I shot half the show, with half the artistes who took part in the show, was so surreal for me,” DJ Cassidy told the Jamaica Observer.
After the 30-minute televised Pass The Mic programme, which began at 10:00 pm, the American disc jock took to the stage to thank all the participants, several of whom were in attendance.
However, things quickly transitioned into a live Pass the Mic session with Tanto Metro and Devonte kicking things off with their 1999 smash hit Everyone Falls in Love with the audience singing along.
Things continued on a high note when female acts Nadine Sutherland (Action) and Patra (Romantic Call) each took their turns. They subsequently handed over to Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths ( Electric Slide), who closed out an exciting evening.
Sutherland thanked DJ Cassidy for his show, mentioning that it has been a tremendous assistance during the current constraints of COVID-19.
“Somebody said to me, he (DJ Cassidy) really helped a lot of people from not committing suicide because of the music and the joy from the concept he got from the Divine,” Sutherland told the Observer.
The 30-minute televised show followed BET‘s 2022 NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Image Awards and was a reggae-dancehall presentation.
“I was face-timing with Verdine of White of Earth, Wind & Fire, my friend and mentor, and while we were face-timing an Earth, Wind & Fire song came on my speakers and Verdine started to sing along. I got chills down my spine and I said how can I give this feeling to everyone around the world,” said DJ Cassidy in explaining how the series came about.
Pass The Mic debuted in July 2020 and DJ Cassidy explained that he has had a vision for every episode since the first. Saturday’s dancehall-reggae edition represents his first-hand history with the genre with his crates filled with reggae records.
“I wanted to manifest that crate into the Pass The Mic series and I’m so honoured that it came true,” he said.
The televised Pass The Mic: BET Afterparty 2022 kicked off with Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus and Pliers and was an ode to 90s reggae and dancehall. The show’s format saw DJ Cassidy face-timing with artistes performing their hit songs and switching to the next acts, effectively virtually passing the microphone. Twenty-one artistes were featured with mainly 90s dancehall hits the real star. Patrons soaked up the likes of Junior Reid, Sister Nancy, Barrington Levy, Kevin Lyttle, and fan favourite, Super Cat. Pass The Mic didn’t shy away from reggae’s influence with other country’s output represented by Canada’s Snow, and England’s Musical Youth, and UB40.
“With the help of Sharon Burke and Judith Bodley, it wasn’t hard to organise all the performances. They are iconic reggae industry producers, curators, promoters, and with their help I was able to connect with all the artistes and it came together beautifully,” said DJ Cassidy.