Shaggy made the call for charity and Jamaica responded… again. This year’s Shaggy and Friends concert, held on Saturday night on the lawns of Jamaica House, was a sold-out affair, with host Shaggy declaring that “every ticket has been sold”. According to him, even up until midnight, persons were going to the Jamaica Pegasus ticket office looking for tickets.

Another well-choreographed event, the organisers, much as they did last year, totally transformed the grounds of Jamaica House. Despite getting underway one hour later than the scheduled 8:00 pm start time, patrons patiently waited after an impassioned plea and apology from Shaggy, who explained that the auction was still taking place and requested the audience’s indulgence as he sought to raise more money for the cause.

Then it was showtime. The man himself got the ball a-rolling, kicking off by telling patrons, “yuh t’ink is opera? Get up and dance!” And they obeyed, rocking to favourites from his repertoire including Bonafide, Angel, Summertime and Sexy Lady. This was to be the first of his three sets.

It was a night on which the artistes in their maximum 15-minute cameos sought to entertain the capacity audience and left them wanting that little bit more. Veteran acts such as Toots, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Machel Montano, Joe, and Boyz II Men, fledgling artistes like Chevaughn and Ding Dong, and those accepted as being on the rise, struck responsive chords with the audience.

Certainly, one of the stand-out acts of the night was Cham (formerly known as Babycham), a talented, edgy dancehall act who showed that he knows exactly how to rise to the occasion. A protégé of producer/writer extraordinaire Dave Kelly, Cham has not been seen on a local stage in too long a time and he was welcomed accordingly. And, seizing the proud moment to stand on the soil of Jamaica House for the first time, he executed brilliantly.

Sporting a mohawk and looking much younger than his years, Cham had the full support of the crowd as he eased into his set. “How many gal get slam through money?” he asked and the quick response was “many many”. His delivery and presence were those of an artiste who has matured and clearly understands how to size up an audience and immediately give them what they want.

Like Cham, seasoned Reggae acts Toots Hibbert, Mykal ‘Grammy’ Rose, and Queen Ifrica gave solid, well-received performances. From Rose’s opening lines of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner into Solidarity and closing with the recent hit, Police and Tief, he was able to connect with his audience and was well-appreciated. So too did Queen Ifrica, who entered the stage at just after midnight giving a signature performance — chanting her way in the consciousness of those gathered.

Toots was the consummate showman and demonstrated why he has remained in the game this long. Even the younger members of the audience, many of whom were seeing him for the first time, were captivated by his performance. Bursting with energy, he gave an all-inclusive performance of 54-46 which rocked the venue. Other reggae acts, Alaine, Ce’Cile and Sanchez, gave credible accounts of themselves.

Dancehall was well-represented. The group TOK was first up and the younger segment of the audience had their moment. Alastair, Craig, Bay C and Flex, sang and deejayed exuberantly. Footprints on the Drop Leaf riddim and Guardian Angel on the riddim of the same name went over very well. In the latter, Craig’s vocals were outstanding and one is reminded of the talented vocalist that he is. King of the Dancehall Beenie Man reminded why he can take that title unto himself. Jamaica House was his from the moment “Zagga Zow” echoed through the speakers at 12:50 am. ‘The Doctor’ then proceeded to whip the audience into a frenzy as he danced, pranced and performed hit after hit, after which he brought on his newest sidekick, Baby Trish, who could be no more than six years old. Entertaining as she was, we are compelled to write a prescription for her: Baby Trish needs to be at home tucked in bed, rather than “parring” with Beenie Man from one stage show to another.

The sole soca act was none other than Machel Montano, who was quite at home with an extremely appreciative audience that hung on to his every word and gyration. When he called on Shaggy for the Mad Bull Fever segment all the “toros” in the Jamaica House audience charged.

Of the three international acts invited by Shaggy to share his stage it was the trio Boyz II Men that made the greatest impact. Dressed casually in jeans and tees, the boys from Philly had the females ‘on bended knees’. Their performance brought the audience alive at 2:00 am, as they delivered Waters Run Dry, Make Love to you, So Hard to Say Goodbye, and ultimately, End of the Road. Although their performance was exciting, it lacked the punch that others had as they performed to backing tracks, therefore one never actually knew when they were singing or when it was pre-recorded music. Joe gave a decent performance, giving the ladies what they needed, delivering I Wanna Know and Things Your Man Won’t Do. His rendition of Marley’s Redemption Song was a nice touch. Again, it was the younger audience members present who were able to fully absorb Mario Winans’ set.

Then there were the stand-up comics, Ity & Fancy Cat, whose take on a Colombian selling a chair was absolutely hilarious; Dr Michael Abrahams with his delightful Year In Review, and Blacka, who was at his comedic best.

With his third and final set it was Shaggy who was scheduled to bring the curtains down, however, what would transpire would cast a shadow, if only for a moment, on an excellent evening of entertainment for a great cause. Having introduced Mavado, who was supposed to make a pledge, the Gully God then called on his ‘father’, Bounty Killer. Wrong move. The concert would come to an abrupt end when Killer made statements alluding to homosexuals. That aside, the organising and production team should again take a big bow for a job well done.