Etana is passionate in her performance at Reggaelution held at Liguanea Club on Saturday.
Patrons were in for an unexpected experience on the lawns of the Liguanea Club last Saturday night at Reggaelution. It was as an all-inclusive party with live performances, but most patrons arrived just in time for the live performance segment at 11p.m.
The venue was elegantly decorated with seats for patrons, a white-decked stage and a bar in the centre.
DJ Pepsi from Renaissance kept the vibe going for the party segment and between performances. With throwback dancehall hits from Elephant Man, Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, and others, he worked his way up to the newer hits.
As the night progressed, the venue soon filled with a fairly large turnout. Emcee Miss Kitty came on stage at 10:30 p.m., ushering in the performance segment that started half an hour later with Rootz Underground.
Victims of the System
Heavy reggae beats soon drummed through the venue as lead singer Stevie G made his way on stage singing Reggaelution.
Rootz gave an energetic set, jumping and belting out one hard-hitting song after the other. The band sang Farming and the Higher State of Consciousness before leaving the stage almost an hour later with Victims of the System.
The warrior queen Etana followed after a band change, with Til Shiloh backing her. Persons at the front of the stage were singing away to Wasting My Time, Roots, Jah Jah Blessing and much more.
Etana paused during her performance to praise one of her musical icons, Marcia Griffiths, saying: "Marcia Griffiths I love you; I respect you to the fullest. We must praise these people while they're still living."
The crowd was surprised when Etana sang two of Griffiths' songs as one fan shouted, "she's so good." Admiring males at the front of the stage gazed at Etana with adoration in their eyes as they mouthed, "Etana I love you."
From dancehall to reggae
It was minutes after 1 a.m. before the crowd got what they had waited all night for - the performance of the 'Gargamel' Buju Banton. In an hour-long set, Buju did not disappoint as his gravelly voice sounded across the venue. Moving from dancehall to reggae, Buju wowed with Champion, Water Man, Till Shiloh and more. The audience gave the artiste the warmest reception for the night as they screamed and sang along, not wanting him to leave the stage. The event, which was supposed to end at 2 a.m., went into overtime as Buju continued his catalogue of hits before bringing special guest, Tarrus Riley, onstage.
Women screamed his name as Riley told the crowd to Beware, sang about being Far Away and told the women to Start Anew. Riley was the perfect fit after Buju, bringing his own energy on stage. After a short but satisfying set, Buju returned to close the night with a few more hit songs.
For those who had the patience to wait for the live performance segment, the artistes did not disappoint. While the combination of party and stage show wasn't a bad idea, there were still a few finishing touches to the concept that needed to be tweaked to make Reggaelution a night to remember.
Buju Banton dances up a storm at Reggaelution held at Liguanea Club on Saturday. - photos by Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer