Tarrus Riley keeps time on his watch to see how long saxophonist Dean Frazer could blow his instrument. Riley's act outclassed several others for that night. - Photos by Noel Thompson
WESTERN BUREAU:
Almost taking on the persona of an angel, Tarrus Riley 'contagiously' transmitted the cure that quenched the thirst of the thousands of patrons on International Night II of Reggae Sumfest 2009 at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay.
Comfortably transmitting the 'Mission' to Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley and the poetic Nas, the three sated the musical hunger primed by an unapologetic Etana, who titillated the taste buds of an audience prepared to wait all night for curtain call to the greatest reggae show on Earth.
Appearing on the third night of an event filled with explosive reggae music, the artiste who wore an emblem on the breast of her shirt, titled 'Queen Omega', fell in line with the magnificent and soul-stirring performances that erupted onstage last Saturday night, confirming the start to preparations for Reggae Sumfest 2010.
Riley, fast earning the reputation of 'Prince of Reggae' and 'JamRock's' Junior Gong Marley, in combination with the hip-hop street rapper Nas, earned supreme bragging rights, but the female prowess was just as magical.
Riley, who went onstage at 11:30 p.m., connected with the massive crowd that cheered him on when he drew the rub-a-dub song Beware, and although he followed with Faraway, there was hardly any distance between him and the audience that literally sucked up all the sweat that dripped from his brows.
At the Sumfest booth, hundreds of yards from the stage, Lee-Anne Gourzong, wife of the festival's executive producer, Johnny Gourzong, had no control over her feet during Riley's performance, while renowned Montego Bay attorney, George Duncan was mesmerised, closing all others who stood next to him.
Riley's set was in sync with a jam session. And when he went head on musically with Jamaica's greatest saxophonist, Dean Fraser, their note for keys combination created an energy generating field in the bowels.
Drawing from his impressive compilation, the female national anthem, She is Royal, Riley all but sealed what everybody already knew, that he was the royal one among his subjects.
Almost one hour into his set, confetti was spewed, symbolic of the star status. There clearly was no one to top Tarrus Riley's mind-blowing performance then, but the verdict was yet to come owing to the fact, the king of reggae's legacy, Junior Gong, was still to appear.
Emerging onstage at approximately 4:30 a.m., the hair almost touching his feet could have easily been a distraction. But as soon as he opened his mouth, it was obvious he was on a scorching hot 'Mission'.
Paying tribute to the legacy left by his father, Bob Marley, Junior Gong rose to higher heights with War and No More Trouble.
Within 30 minutes of his set, the rhythms to the hit song Exodus were rivalled by his own making tagged Move.
Moving the crowd with passion, he heralded the spine-tingling arrival of hip-hop rapper, Nas.
An obvious favourite with the young people who stood on their feet until 5:30 a.m. to listen to this street rapper, Nas' If I Ruled the World which he did with Lauryn Hill was a given, while One Mike and Street Dreams were clear winners from his selection.
The song Road to Zion brought back Damian Marley onstage, as he closed an exciting set with the country's unofficial anthem, Welcome to Jamrock.
In the mix and holding her own, Etana, looking like 'Little Red Riding Hood', while obviously accepting Haile Selassie as her King, the recently ordained Baptist brought joie de vivre to the event, paying special care in preserving the island's rich cultural heritage.
Sounding at times like the incredibly talented I-Threes packed in one package, Etana rocked Catherine Hall staking her claim to stardom.
Toni Braxton
The other female act on the show, Toni Braxton, almost had her performance derail by sound challenges, but the professional of no mean order would not let up.
Dressed as a seducer ready to capture her audience, she caressed those who could hear with her sultry, sexy voice and amazing body.
Rhinestones dripping from her body hugging suit, black leotards and fish-net stockings complemented by matching heels, Braxton was not allowed to confirm whether or not an 'Angel Broke her Heart' as the Jamaican audience would have none of that.
When the six-time Grammy-Award winning artiste pulled for Seven Whole Days, she barely had to open her mouth to captivate the crowd. An encore brought her back to the hit Unbreak My Heart.
Earlier top-notch performances were delivered by the Germany-based reggae group Rhaatid which gave a different feel of what the international community is experiencing from this rich and vibrant music that calls Jamaica home.
Hard Drive, Sophia Squire, Montego Bay's Mackie Conscious, Digicel Rising Star, Romain Virgo, Da'Ville and the Inner Circle band completed the roster of artistes on International Night II.