8th Annual Westchester Reggaefest

Smooth Sailing All the Way

By Donovan Longmore

Photos courtesy of Linkup Media

With patrons rushing through busy streets and parking lots, all was well for the biggest Reggae event in Westchester County, New York. Rightfully so, it was a concert that attracted people of all origins and cities. The sold out event got off on the right track by being punctual for a change. After receiving the blessings from a dear pastor, the audience was in full gear for what was to be some of the best artists Reggae music has to offer. Luciano, Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths, Shaggy, I-Wayne, and Frankie Paul were more than enough to attract the biggest crowd anywhere. Nevertheless, there was one more precious vocal to enlighten the soul. It was not just any artist returning to the Tri-state area, this was one of Jamaica’s best. Linkup Media put the icing on the cake when they announced the return of the “Gargamel”, Buju Banton. After having some lawful troubles with the “good herb” that lead to the revocation of his travel rights to the United States, fans and artists alike were ecstatic to see Jamaica’s pride and joy back on the stage lineup.

The event started as scheduled, and Frankie Paul was the first to take the stage. No stranger in the business, this rude boy got everyone up on their feet by doing the honors of singing Jamaica’s National Anthem. People on the outside were anxious to be a part of the excitement and quickly rushed towards the entrance. Donned as the Stevie Wonder of Reggae Music, Frankie kicked things into high gear with his hit “Alicia”. There was no turning back for this smooth crooner. He pelted out hit after hit which included "Sarah," "Rock with me," "Kushumpeng" (which drew a big encore), and as always he completed his set with several gospel traditionals. Mr. Paul was truly a hard act to follow--he had the audience screaming and singing along to his barrage of hits.

Cultural sensation I-Wayne was next in command, with his signature hit “Can’t Satisfy Her” still riding the billboard charts. This son of Selassie kept the fire burning throughout his well balanced set. He burned everything that was impure, from bleachers to corrupted leaders and people. His small but calm demeanor was extremely powerful when getting his message across. Uttering that women are pure and must take special care of their children was what got him on a roll. He turned up the heat with his latest hit “Lava Ground” and continued the trend with “Living in Love”. After seeing that he had conquered the audience with his arsenal of tunes, he gladly gave them the song they were all waiting for. The arena was turned upside down from the beginning rhythm track from “Can’t Satisfy Her”. I-Wayne wasted no time and simply delivered with pure delight.

After a brief intermission, The Harmony House Band took the stage. Marlon Stewart gave a good showing and carried on the legacy of his late father (Roman Stewart). After a minor system problem, The Harmony House singers gave a splendid showcase of their vocal abilities. Things got even better when the next artist was introduced.

Being in this business for over forty years and still generating great hits is not an easy task, unless you’re the Queen of Reggae. Marcia Griffiths' introduction was the one that got everybody on their feet. She gave the audience the show of a lifetime. Starting off with “Tell Me Now," "Dreamland," "I Shall Sing," "Closer to You," "Back in the Days," "All my Love" (with her son), her fans gave her the respect she deserved. She took the time to remember all the musical greats and paid a special tribute to the king of reggae. From the beginning to the end of her segment, people were jumping for joy. She continued her trend and performed some of the tracks on her latest release “Shining Time”. The Queen truly shined in our hearts and left the stage with fans begging for more.

Artistes were now wondering how they could outperform the previous act. The question was answered when Lance-O introduced the male vocalist of the year. Donned as the most prolific songwriter and singer for years, Beres Hammond is truly a force to be reckoned with on stage. Every woman was screaming at the top of her lungs. The man satisfied their thirst with “Sunny Day," "Step Aside," "One Dance," "She Loves Me Now," and the list goes on. He took us on a frenzy with classics from his musical catalogue. Beres was overwhelmed by the love from his fans. He even called his friend Marcia Griffiths on stage to perform “Live On”. He walked off the stage after a barrage of tunes. Many were looking for his return but got disappointed.

During a brief intermission, the Atomic Dancers gave us a dancing treat that got everybody feeling jiggy. After missing his time to perform, new cultural sensation Bascom X was given a brief moment to perform his big hit “Lonely Heart”.

The show was more than halfway through and very much ahead of schedule, thus enabling Shaggy plenty of time to get ready for his performance. Fresh off the plane from a show in Austria, this multi-platinum selling artist was more than ready for a bombastic showcase. He gave us a splendid performance with all his great hits that made him an international icon. Rayvon joined him throughout his performance to entertain the audience. He took the house down with “Bombastic," "Angel," "Lovely Day," "Bashment Party," "It Wasn’t Me," and "Hey Sexy Lady.” He was also joined by G-Unit member and Jamaican-born Olivia, to perform their latest hit. After such a performance, the people were given a brief break to cool off. This only got made matters worse because we were treated to a dancing lesson from the baddest dancing duo in the business. The Fresh Kids came out and represented the true Jamaican art form of dancing while paying tribute to Mr. Wacky (the late Bogle).

It was now time to bless the place, and who else fit that order other than the Messenger himself. Dressed in his army attire, Luciano was at his best. He took us back to his beginning and brought us up to date on his latest tunes. He blazed the place with “How Can You," "Give Praise," "Ulterior Motives," "He is My Friend," "Sweep Over my Soul," and "One Away Ticket.” He enlightened the audience when he spoke about the wrong doings of our leaders. Nevertheless, it was the major hit “It’s Me Again Jah” that got us all praying to the Almighty following Luciano's example. Even the devil had to leave due to the slight system malfunction while the audience gave praises to the Father above. He departed by giving us some encouraging words.

Still ahead of schedule, Westchester was blessed with the return of Reggae music's shining star. We had waited almost two years to see the Gargamel perform at a live show. Knowing that his fans were waiting for his return, Buju Banton did the unexpected. He gladly accepted the welcome and went on to deliver the performance of his life. He took us back in the earlier days of “Gold Spoon," "Only Man," "Champion," "Gun Nuh Kill People,” and the place was upside down. After seeing that he had the audience at the tip of his fingers, he took us on a cultural journey by reeling off all his conscience tunes. He enlightened the audience when he briefly spoke about the incident that lead to his absence. He called upcoming artist “New Kid” to the stage and then went on to burn nasty living amongst some men. Buju was in fine style and now “dem a go tired fi si him face”. He exited the stage after a much appreciated performance.

In closing, much respect goes out to Plush TV, VP Records, and Linkup Media for making this event possible. DJ Roy, Lance-O, Squeeze, and Donna Cooper were truly a classy group of personalities that hosted this great event.