By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
JUST AS reggae has, Rebel Salute 2004 reached out beyond Jamaica and scooped up a few performers to come to Port Kaiser, St. Elizabeth, on Saturday night.
It was significant that the Caribbean had a heavy input in the show's overseas contingent, what with Nasio Fontaine from Dominica and Queen Omega from Trinidad among those who rocked the audience.
In fact, Nasio and the Ras Ites out of England played relatively long sets practically back to back, save for a very quick band change.
Of the two Nasio was up first, starting out on a Nyabinghi drum beat which evolved into reggae and he was off and singing with In The Positive. "What you say, Jamaica, what you say?" he asked. "Jamaica must get together and fight for a different situation," he advised, before switching to Heads of Government.
Nasio's performance was sprinkled liberally with calls for action. "400 years we been suffering and I an' I want to go home. Rise up Nyahbinghi, rise up I an I people!" he said. "Remember Marcus Garvey say, as it is written, so it will be done."
The drums rolled and Nasio went into a Bible-based piece, declaring that princes shall come out of Egypt.../the last shall be the first. As he finished the refrain Ethiopia stretch forth her hands unto Jah a guitar solo punctuated the music and Nasio introduced Natty Frenchy to the Rebel Salute audience.
"Yes Jamaica, give thanks for the love you have spoke about. I know you can bring the same love among you," Nasio said, before moving into his last song, Black and Comely.
RAS ITES
The Ras Ites were introduced as a group of very powerful young men, all under 25, and the only young all-male reggae band out of London, England. The Jamaican connection is not only musical, but also in their parentage.
And Rastafari, as well, as they gave greetings in the name of His Imperial Majesty.
One voice gave the long and powerful salutation, but when the actual singing started it was immediately clear that the group was in harmony vocally as well as musically. They opened with a call to action and self-reliance, that "it is up to us to build a better day", harmonising sweetly on the chorus that I an' I a soldiers in dis ya revolution/I an' I a foundation...".
They were also careful to let the audience know that the song was named Corruption. They followed with Perfection, which included a good dub interlude, then did Universal Love. On this song they mixed down the rhythm and rode it in harmony, to the delight of the audience, which rocked along as they chanted if you feel what I feel, oppression, depression....
"Rebel Salute, how you feel?" they asked at the end of the song. The audience felt and let the group know it.
REMIX
They followed up with a hallowed classic, Picture On The Wall, keeping it in original form most of the way until a Ras Ites called for the remix and a bit of rap was woven into the mix.
"Right now to all herb jugglers, fya bun fi all coke smugglers," preceded High Grade, which was their final song. "It has been a pleasure to come to Jamaica, the birthplace of roots reggae. We give thanks for this opportunity, because we know nuff never get this opportunity," they said, in bidding farewell with a 'blessed love'.
For his part, German 'singjay' Gentleman spread his notoriety on the local scene even further. Doing his popular Dem Gone, and Fall Dem a Fall Gentleman got a heated outpour of appreciation from the St Elizabeth crowd.
This was in total contrast to the outpour of bottles he got at his first Sting stageshow on Boxing Day. While joined by DYCR, who did his piece Dem Try Fi Lick Mi, Gentleman put his episode into perspective.
"People, dem fling three water bottle after me like seh mi thirsty!", he said before continuing his short set.
Earlier in the evening Queen Omega had also staked her claim to marijuana with Ganja Baby, after opening with the rousing Jahmazing Grace. Her combination of singing and deejaying went over well with the audience.
The Rebel Salute 2004 overseas contingent may have had passports that identified them as being from somewhere other than Jamaica, but their speech and mannerisms were straight from 'yard'. And, as MC Elise Kelly said after Ras Ites had wrapped up their set, "music no have no accent!"
