Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
( left - right )BEENIE MAN AND TURBULENCE
THE 'BEENIE Man Summer Sizzle' concert sent the musical thermometer skyrocketing on Saturday night, a huge audience basking in the heat up to the warming of the morning sun.
Jamaica's most valuable, renewable export visited one of the sites of another, much more finite resource, with no visible physical complications at the JAMALCO Sports Club in Halse Hall, Clarendon.
Not only was the musical appetite of the thousands who turned up to help Beenie Man celebrate 28 years in music and his '30-odd' birthday seemingly inexhaustible over the near 10-hour marathon, but the taste was also varied.
They stood as if transfixed to sing along with Jimmy Cliff accompanying himself on keyboard for Rebel In Me and roared for Lady Saw's lyrics for the ladies with pretty assets.
FLAMES OF A DIFFERENT PURPOSE
They flickered lighters for rapper Bonecrusher (who took off his shirt and shook his tremendous stomach, also showing crack that should remain concealed in the process) on Lighter as required and adapted the flames to a different purpose on Richie Spice's Marijuana, but reserved a different level of screaming to Rock Away for a 20-minute harmonious blitz from fellow birthday man Beres Hammond.
The ladies' waistlines rolled for the 'conning' financial advice of Macka Diamond and hit a different, delightful tempo for the soca of Rupee's Tempted To Touch and Spragga Benz combining with Kevin Lyttle on Turn Me On. The same voices that exulted in John Holt's Carpenter in the relatively early going had more than enough left to scream along to Assassin's Girls Gone Wild coming up to the break of day. And the 'badmanism' of Cobra's Press Trigger was as appreciated as the humour of Captain Barkey and Wickerman's comparison of the ladies' love for slim or fat men, as well as a prancing Beekie Bailey on When Yu Ras.
Slender ladies had their special moment as Left Side and Esco delivered Tuck Een Yu Belly on tracks, the duo explaining that they were not talking about women over 35 or those who had already had children. And a couple children were on stage, QQ's rhythmic stage movements and lyrics on Poverty tearing the house down, while Princess Ina honoured Jamaica along with her father.
Ghost brought a different tempo as he squeaked out Paul Simon's Call Me Al to a delighted audience, while Tanto Metro and Devonte had the ladies saying 'woah' and many other things.
It was not a matter of imports only, as the power of Digicel Rising Stars was shown in the enthusiastic response given to DJ Face, while Cocoa Tea's melody and spontaneous lyrics had the dancehall massive 'tuning in' to Clarendon's own.
The three-man Voice Mail, augmented at one point by three dancers, harmonised in voice and movement for the Wacky Dip and other moves, but coming up to the close the multiple member Higher Trod family helped Turbulence display the Notorious dance, as the man who demands 'balance' capped off a searing display of lyricism and showmanship.
However, Jimmy Cliff's Harder They Come was a hard act to follow and the response to Fantan Mojah was far less than enthusiastic, although many did Hail The King as required.
Beenie Man seemed to revel in his party, at points directing the 'runnings' for the audience as he requested more from Richie Spice, which he got in Ghetto Girl, and Jimmy Cliff, which he did not. There were screams as he appeared on stage for the first time with Cliff for a combination on Let's Go Dancing at 4:30 a.m., the dancehall doctor ending that brief showing with 'me jus a hol a vibe, me son come back cause everybody jus arrive.
RED ROSE
When Beenie Man returned to close the Summer Sizzle, there was no need for the stage lights to see him, his white jacket and pants, with a red rose on each, matching his broad smile. With a salute, Beenie Man proceeded to get the audience mad with lyrics, as he declared that he was rolling deep and had the ladies filling in for Miss Thing, who had performed earlier.
"Mek we bun dung inside ya. Can I call on my special gues" Beenie Man asked. That guest turned out to be Capleton, who came on in a leaping, fiery frenzy with Or Wha and the two alternated lyrics to the delight of the audience.
The birthday cake, decorated with a picture of a red Hummer, was cut, Beenie Man calling on his lady to assist with the honours, Beenie Man declaring himself 'King of the Dancehall' before ending his performance and the Sizzle in the glow of the early sun at 6:45 a.m. yesterday.
MCs for the night were an uproarious Sample Man, Nuffy, Richie B, Big A, GT Taylor and, in the early going, Marc Johnson. Not all the promised stage sizzlers were present, with Bunji Galin, Vybz Kartel, Admiral Bailey and Leroy Smart missing in action.
