Rebel Rocks BOJ Lunch Hour Concert

Entertainer Tony Rebel recently 'locked' his popularity with about 1,500 of his fans when he performed in a packed Bank of Jamaica Auditorium. He was late - caught up in traffic, the audience was told - and the scheduled 12:30 p.m. start of the show was delayed by 20 minutes.

Some people were getting impatient, but by the time the music stopped an hour and a half later, all was forgiven. By then, Rebel had the audience singing, swaying, and dancing as he led them in If Jah is Standing By My Side.

A dozen or so people left before the end - after about an hour, in fact - an indication that they had taken their lunch hour to attend the event. Many people have become regulars of the bank's end-of-month entertainment series, which has been running for more than 25 years.

Anyone planning a career in performing should make it a duty to see a Rebel concert. He gave what amounted to a class in how to win and keep fans, and he actually invited his listeners to his next show.

It will be Rebel Salute, on January 15 and 16, the former date being the performer's 54th birthday. The reggae festival, mounted by his company, Flames Productions, has been held annually since 1994, the year he founded his own record label, Flames.

"We're going to have a wonderful time here this afternoon," Rebel promised as he appeared on the BOJ stage, dressed in full black, including a black cap over black, flowing locks.

Already on stage were his back-up singers, Nicketa Steer and Joseph Roach, and the band, comprising Gregory Palmer (keyboard), Kino Newby (bass), Dario Morgan (guitar), and Ricardo Thomas (drums).

LEARNING ABOUTHIM

Rebel quickly established himself as an easy-going, regular guy, who was enjoying a friendly conversation with the audience and those on stage with him. As the minutes passed and the songs flowed, one got to learn more facts about him. Some were surprising.

He showed his love for his country in a number of his songs. The first, Sweet Jamdown (What a Nice Place to Live), made a direct statement. Others implied that love, as Rebel - with "conscious lyrics" and in straight talk - criticised those who refused to do "the right thing". Uncaring politicians were singled out for blame.

Of course, the females in the audience were all smiles and shining eyes as again and again, he declared his love for them.

"This one is for all the beautiful ladies in the house," he announced before launching into one of his biggest hits - Fresh Vegetable. He came into the aisles a couple of times to sing directly to a lady or two.

So it came as no surprise when about halfway through the gig, he said that he was a "very optimistic" Rastaman. This declaration introduced a brief autobiographical segment in which we learnt that his mother died when he was four years old and that he grew up without the influence of a father. He could, he said, have become "one of dem nasty deejays who deal wid slackness pon di stage". Instead, he chose to uplift people.

HUMOUROUS CONVERSATIONS

Laughing, he informed the audience that as a justice of the peace (since 2013), he could sign various documents for them. We also heard that he doesn't smoke. Nevertheless, he announced that at Rebel Salute, he would be holding a symposium on ganja. Participants would learn about the new ganja laws and about the effects of smoking the herb.

Rebel used humour throughout the show, often in songs, sometimes in his conversations with the audience. He initially brought his daughter, Davianah, on stage by asking her to bring a towel so that he could wipe the perspiration off his face, but minutes later, she was back on stage to sing.

Rebel suggested that Davianah was new to singing, and in fact, her delivery of her two songs, Come Over and Tide is High, I'm Moving On, seemed amateurish.

Later, backstage, she told The Gleaner that though she had sung in public before, she still got nervous before every appearance.

In all, Rebel sang about a dozen songs, many of them only part-way through. Some were recent, like Fire, a love song about a fiery woman; some were old standards like Since We've Been Together and Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.

"Lots of artistes are into the love of power," Rebel told his listeners during the concert, "but I believe in the power of love."

The scores of people rocking and singing the closing number with him apparently did, too.