Rocksteady Meets Reggae in a Massive Showdown

An exciting and entertaining family affair

by Kevin Jackson

Freddie McGregor and his Big Ship enterprises in association with SAM Promotions had a winning formula when they banded together to stage "Rocksteady Meets Reggae in a Massive Showdown" on Sunday May 6 at the AT&T Ampitheatre in downtown Miami.

The day and night event delivered full value as was evident on the faces of the thousands of patrons who crammed into the venue to witness some of the biggest guns from the rocksteady era, performing alongside some of the current names in roots rock and cultural reggae.

In what was an entertaining affair for the whole family, the show had some exciting performances that left a positive impact on concertgoers. Patrons from as far from Jamaica, Chicago, California and New York journeyed to Miami for this engaging affair.

Emcees David "Squeeze" Annakie from Linkup Media, Simon Templer, Clint O’Neil, Dionne Mathis and Elise Kelly from Irie FM in Jamaica and Norma Brown-Bell from RJR 94 FM, guided the proceedings professionally. Backing bands SANE and Lloyd Parkes & The We The People Band were effective in their respective roles and kept the vibes flowing musically.

Bright sparks of the earlier segment of the show included Yogie and Lenn Hammond, Kashief Lindo, Michael Russell, Scotty, Tinga Stewart and Ian Sweetness.

Yogie and Lenn wowed the crowd with their respective stints and showed the kind of talent that Jamaica has exuding from its shores. With his "That Was Then, This is Now" and "I Go Crazy" treats, Yogie had the crowd mesmerized. Lenn was equally entertaining. The recent Canadian Juno Award winner was flawless as he divulged "Mixed Up Moods" to the audience’s delight.

Although a good singer, Kashief Lindo needs some lessons on how to work a stage and create his own persona.

The Techniques and the Melodians are true veterans and they sounded as crisp as the day their recordings were released. They really represented well and had the crowd singing along to their respective hits.

Leroy Sibbles was his usual immaculate self, belting out the hits to the crowd’s delight, while Phyllis Dillon, Ken Boothe, U-Roy, John Holt and Morgan Heritage were nothing short of superb!

Alton Ellis got a slow start but eventually picked up the momentum and held his own.

Louie Culture was in good form with songs like "Old Before Them Young," "Gangalee," and he teamed with Mikey Spice for their chart-topping hit "Grab You Lass and Come."

Spice teased the crowd to a few lines of his current chart hit "Ballroom Floor" a cover of the Bunny Wailer original, due to time constraints.

The Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths who came dressed appropriately for her title, delivered a knockout set with "I Shall Sing," "Stepping outta Babylon" and "Dreamland," while Everton Blender touched a spiritual note with "Piece of the Blender" and "Lift Up Your Head."

Cocoa Tea had the crowd jumping to "Rykers Island," "She Loves Me Now" and "Crying Time," while Freddie McGregor had the lovers in the crowd holding hands to "I See it In you" among other popular numbers.

Glen Washington closed the show with his "Sweetness for Weakness" and "Heaven Must Have Sent You" both of which are popular numbers from his emerging catalogue of hits.

Patrons left the venue with a satisfied look on their faces. Reports are that Freddie McGregor plans to take the show around the world and to other parts of the US, like California, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta over the next few months.

Part of the proceeds of the "Rocksteady Meets Reggae in a Massive Showdown" event, went towards the purchase of much needed computers for the Haile Selassie Comprehensive High School in Kingston, Jamaica.

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Kevin Jackson is an entertainment writer and publicist from Kingston, Jamaica. He is a freelance writer for the Jamaica Observer and Excess publications.