Kartel’s coronation headlines Reggae Sumfest

WESTERN BUREAU:

Tommy Lee Sparta had high praise for Vybz Kartel following his coronation as king of dancehall.

“Him more dan deserve di title. Di man come change dancehall and kick weh Afrobeats. Dancehall a run di place right now — and a Kartel do dat!” Tommy Lee told The Sunday Gleaner after his truncated set.

“Kartel a 50-year-old, and look wah him a do. This nuh happen overnight, a whole heap a work bring him deh so. Maybe one day me will reach dessuh,” added the former member of Kartel’s Portmore Empire, whose given name is Leroy Russell Jr.

The crowning of Kartel was the highlight of Reggae Sumfest Festival Night One, which unfolded at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay on Friday night.

Before one of the largest crowds seen at the venue in recent times, his ascension to the ‘dancehall throne’ marked a new chapter in the genre’s legacy, echoing the moment 16 years ago when Beenie Man was similarly crowned at Reggae Sumfest 2009.

Kartel delivered a pleasing, hit-filled one-hour performance before he was crowned by Spice, the reigning queen of the dancehall. He received loud cheers of approval from the fans, many of whom had come specifically to witness the crowning.

His performance, which came amid much fanfare, was primarily driven by MC Nuffy, who introduced him. He performed in front of billboards, which detailed aspects of his musical journey, including his 13-year incarceration for a crime for which he was acquitted by the Court of Appeal in July of last year.

Ahead of the performance, upon his arrival on the island on Thursday, he shared that he felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

“I mean, the only emotion that’s running through my mind right now is anxiety, anticipation – yuh kno’ wah ah mean? Vybz Kartel wants to attack that stage,” said Kartel. “The people waiting on it. The energy is right, the atmosphere is right, the alcohol is right, and the mood is right. So after 14 years, wi come fi deliver fi di people like they’ve never seen before.”

And deliver he did. Kartel dug generously into his expansive catalogue, pulling on songs like Me Nuh Fraid A Nobody, Wine Fi Mi Nuh, Bike Back, Dollar Sign, and Romping Shop, which was done in combination with Spice, and had the crowd singing along like a well-rehearsed choir.

EXPRESSED GRATITUDE TO ICONS

During the coronation, which included fellow artistes Spice and Ishawna, Kartel used the opportunity to express his gratitude to Bounty Killer, Buju Banton and Ninja Man for the inspirational role they played in his career.

He also paid respect to Beenie Man, whom he referred to as the “former king”, acknowledging his role as one of the icons of the dancehall.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Kartel. After more than a decade away, his return to the spotlight has been nothing short of explosive – sold-out shows in the United States, a landmark moment performing with Drake at the Wireless Festival, Kartel’s first performance in the United Kingdom in 20 years.

“[The] homecoming performance, that’s what means the most to me... . Being crowned officially king of dancehall, that’s nice and everything. [But] I’ve been the king, before I went to prison, yuh kno’ wah ah mean? And the record is there to show,” said Kartel in the Thursday interview. “For me, what is really exciting is to perform for Jamaicans.”

While Kartel’s performance and coronation were definitely a highlight, the dazzling performances by Masicka and Govana also stood out. Masicka had the patrons all but eating out of his hands as he fed them hit after hit, much to their delight.

He declared that his performance at Reggae Sumfest might be his last when he hit centre-stage, but the source of his discontent was unknown. Despite this, his performance showed his mettle. He flowed majestically through his hit-filled set, scoring big on songs like They Don’t Know, Rich Sex, Gifted and Stay Strong, making it clear that “[he is] the baddest thing”.

Govana was an absolute delight as he made a great set greater by inviting his mother, Sonia Eccleston, on stage and surprising her with the keys to a brand-new SUV, saying it was to show his appreciation to her for standing with him through thick and thin in his early life.

In his awesome performance, which must have lifted his stocks on the entertainment circuit very high, Govana delighted with songs like Gyal Clown, 1Matik, Likkle Bit a Money, One N Move and Convo, for which he brought out a replica of an old telephone booth, which he used as a prop in delivering the song.

Jamal, known as ‘Dunce Man,’ was scheduled to perform earlier in the night but arrived late and was slotted in after Govana. With no band to back him, he was forced to perform on track. Nonetheless, he did reasonably well with songs like Millions, No Dunce Gal, Tell Poverty RIP and Ballandor.

Skeng and Tommy Lee Sparta were seemingly poised to do great things based on the barrage of hits they churned out in their truncated sets.

Skeng’s set was cut short by Tommy Lee Sparta, who rode onto centre stage on a motorcycle and declared a “change of shift” before moving smoothly into his performance.

CALLING TIME

However, his set only lasted through a few songs, which included, Buss a Blank and Under Vibes, before the police called time on the show at 5:12 a.m.

Of the earlier acts, Shaneil Muir, the sole female artiste on the line-up, justified her presence, displaying great lyrical skills (and sharp style) on songs like Hype and Boasy and Top Gyal. D’Yani, who performed immediately before Muir, also delivered a quality set, which he laced with songs such as Goddess, Lock N Key, and Live a Little.

Former Scare Dem Crew member Harry Toddler rolled back the clock with a string of hits from the ‘90s, which left no doubt that he could have held his own in a prime-time slot. Laden, Youngwildapache, Dupree Colony and the opening act, Shane Metro, all made their presence felt.

While the overall entertainment was good, the event was interrupted by numerous skirmishes in the crowd, one of which temporarily halted the crowning of Vybz Kartel, and a more significant one, which saw patrons pushing down the fence that separates the general admission area from a section of the VIP area, resulting in reported injuries to several patrons. There were also reports of pickpockets.

Numerous attempts to get a response from the police were unsuccessful as calls to the telephones of St James’ commander, Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenford Miller, the Area One head, in charge of St James, Hanover, Trelawny and Westmoreland, went unanswered.

Additional reporting by O’brian Wynter.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com