- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Tony Rebel performs at the World AIDS day Concert, held at Emancipation Park last Wednesday.
Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THERE WAS absolutely no mistaking the message at Emancipation Park, New Kingston, on Wednesday evening, as activities to mark World AIDS Day culminated in a concert which saw a huge audience turning out to be educated with entertainment.
The mantra of protection and prevention against the as yet incurable, eventually fatal disease was reiterated to the soundtrack of reggae and dancehall music. From the relatively unknown Red Danger through to Tony Rebel, George Nooks, Voise Mail, Aaron Silk and Assassin, artistes lent their voices to the cause.
FINALE
And, in the end, Tony Rebel, who heads Artistes Against AIDS, marshalled the musical troupe for the organisation's song, Protect, Prepare.
The music was used as a backdrop to the message, rather than the other way around, the Ashé ensemble fusing the two with a dramatic flair, in a trio of skits which presented scenarios involving children, at the end of which they asked if the child was at risk for HIV/AIDS.
But the focus was not only on children and the disease. Glenda Simms, head of the Bureau of Women's Affairs, emphasised that when a woman says no to a sexual advance, it means exactly that no.
WHO IS AT RISK?
Ashé's members came on as a dancing, singing group, gradually slowing down the initial burst of energy to precede the skits with Who could it be/could it be me/am I at risk/sexually? They emphasised that you cannot tell that someone has HIV/AIDS just by looking at them.
The first scenario involved a mother and a father addressing a daughter and son respectively, the mother cautioning the girl to be careful and the father encouraging the son to go out and spread his seed. It was not hard to see who would be at risk there. In the second scenario, a girl and her parents had a candid conversation about her going out to a party, against the backdrop of sung words such as 'communication', 'direct questions', 'trust' and 'positive vibes'.
The final skit was a painful story of incest in which a daughter invited her mother to play the new game that daddy had taught her, a game that involved touching her vagina. The mother was immediately in denial. You father would never do that/he is a Christian man, she sang as the musical developed.
Rebel was involved in a mini-skit of sorts - along with Simms and another woman - in which he stuck in snippets of If Jah Is Standing By My Side and Fresh Vegetable.
"We need to tell the little children you are not ready for sex, so concentrate on the things that are important," Simms said.
Rebel stressed the man's role. "If we do not get consent from the ladies, we will go. And we will not touch anybody who is underage," Rebel said.
"Dis AIDS ting get outta hand, so me give thanks for what is happening here today and know sey di people getting conscious," Aaron Silk said, before sending his voice soaring to lead the people 'on the righteous path to Jah'.
Voise Mail did both parts of Weddy Time, employing a pair of dancers to back up their own moves, as well as taking a stab at a song specifically about AIDS, written just the day before.
HYMNS
George Nooks did a 'reggaerised' Bridge Over Troubled Waters, as well as a roots reggae version of the popular hymn How Great Thou Art.
Assassin came on with Eediat Ting Dat to howls of appreciation. The deejay called up two boys to illustrate that one out of every three persons with HIV do not know they have the disease. Assassin, too, was adamant against older men having sex with young girls, to overwhelming support from the audience.
Rebel called out all the artistes from backstage for the finale of Protect, Prepare.
