André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter
Left: DJ Nicholas in action at Christ In Action (CIA) gospel concert, held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, on Sunday. Center: Ryan 'Prodigy' Mark gets the crowd worked up at the concert.
Right:
Judith Gayle kept the vibe alive at the concert. - PHOTOS BY WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
A BARRAGE of gospel artistes turned out at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Sunday to sing for charity.
Thanks to the roof-raising, foot-stomping, alleluia-grand time heralded by the Christ In Action (CIA), the poor will be fed and the sick attended to. According to the CIA head, Temitayo Bewaji, the action team is trying to break down the barriers that religion sometimes cause.
After a slight delay, the half-capacity crowd was invited to stand as they got into the praise and worship mode. Familiar songs such as It Is All Right, If Know the Lord is Keeping You and You're Awesome rallied the patrons into a whirlwind, a preparation for what was to come. The show opened with a lukewarm performance from Danah Ashwood with War of Righteousness.
Shortly after Craig-C made his intensified entrance, the power went out and naturally it was blamed on the Devil. "Wi naah guh mek the short-pants, dutty face boy Devil spoil wi fun," bellowed the MC.
Determined not to allow the darkness to prevail, MC Omar Letford managed to get the crowd hyped by wreaking havoc on the Devil's intervention. After stomping the Devil lower, the first glimpse of the light meant the battle had been won. After chanting the words of We Have The Victory, the show went on.
The first segment wound down with the riveting Ghetto Christian, Tin-I-Cool singing Praise Him and For The Longest Time. Other upcoming singers to grace the stage were Racquel Hinds and Garfield Reid.
PURE CHAOS
Following intermission, the ants' nest was awakened by the young star Blessed. The youngster had just returned from an out-of-town trip and appeared tired, but his tongue-twister Wi Naah Give Up proved otherwise. A rowdy but appropriate Portmore clang gave the artiste the boost he needed.
The mention of Judith Gayle alone sent the already robust gathering into pure chaos. More Than A Conqueror tore the place down but the stylish artiste was only heating up. She ended her segment with a sterling rendition of Press Along Saints.
Then there was seismic activity. It was not an actual earthquake, but it felt like it. Stitchie, the man who dismissed Ninja Man from the very stage in 1995 in a lyrical war was back to wage War on principalities and powers. Those in attendance were privy to hear the title song, Real Life Story, from his upcoming album.
NICHOLAS'S DELIVERY
The downpour of Niagara Falls had nothing on the stampede that erupted when Ryan 'Prodigy' Mark blasted on the stage. Suddenly, the stands could no longer contain patrons who rushed to the front. Jesus Ting Dat ignited the already blazing crowd and Prodigy was obviously feeling the spirit. By the time he got to Don't Want To Sin No More, there was an awesome feeling in the atmosphere.
There are mixed feelings about dancehall reggae, but in Jamaica there was no mixed feelings Sunday night when the penultimate DJ Nicholas took to the stage. The convergence in front of the stage multiplied and the Rastafarian-turned-Christian delivered Naah Bow and Step Out In Faith before he leaped into Holy Ghost Church. The "mess who was turned into a message" stole the night, bar none.
Residents at the Portland Cottage, along with heart surgery patients at the University Hospital, are set to benefit from the night's proceeds.
