Wild Apache Productions
Presents
REGGAE MATICAL
Diamond All-Star Dancehall Explosion
Club Amazura
4/23/05
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So, I had just left the beauty parlor Saturday evening. Yeah man...mi go get cute up. After all, how often does a girl get a chance to watch Shabba Ranks and Super Cat on stage at the same time? Ansa dat...
Anyway...I headed home, as I had a date with all the men from Super Power Record Store right there on good ole Church Ave. Yep...they were my excorts to the Greatest Show For 2K5. History to rockstone...
As much tickets as Super Power sold for the event...there was no doubt this would be a road block.
I was in the house waiting for 10:30 to go to Power and then head to the venue. For anyone familiar with Club Amazura, yu dun know that venue is situated in the worst location when you have a vehicle to park. The early ting is a must.
Sooo...here I am chilling with mi new hair style...the gray hair dem colored nicely and well hidden. Yeah man...mi camera deh pon cock, and mi boot comfy.
All of a sudden mi hear this noise outside...something like a cross between a hurricane and a tidal wave.
I went to the window and what a piece a rain was coming down. Mi couldn't believe it. The rain drops big like hail...not to mention the force and the winds. Mi say no sah...nutten can stop this show. A little ting name 'pre-sold' tickets guaranteed that Wild Apache, rain or shine mus get them $$$.
I looked at mi doo in the mirror and had to laugh. There was no way this hair would look even one percent like sensible somebody when mi get outside.
Mi know if unno get this far into the reading y'all saying, why this long winded, no hair style having Shilo nuh stop wid the bag a long talking and get to the blasted point??? Unno want fi know how the show go, don't???
Don’t skip ahead man...mi really sleepy but mi stay awake jus suh unno can si the picture dem although dem foggy. Humor mi...GOD wi bless unno
I got to Power...hair style pop down...and after mi endure some male testosterone filled conversation bout which dj a this and which deejay a dat...we headed to the vehicle and were on our way towards the history.
Half damp and half dry, now sporting a frig up looking pony tail, I entered the venue. I think Amazura can hold about 4000 people...and by the looks of things at a few minutes past midnight, at least 2000 were already there. Massive B [Bobby Konders & Jabba] were playing the music, and Jabba...mi love yu mi fren but...yu noisy bad though. Super Cat little bredda [wha the sound name again?] stepped up shortly, and within five minutes the show was on the way.
Yami Bollo [a suh im name spell?]was first up, did his ting and was out. Ed Robinson then blessed the place with two tunes and was out also. Both receiving crazy love from the crowd.
I don’t remember the order of things, but I left the front and went backstage, and at that time I could hear Jr Cat mashing up the place. Nuff nuff love...
Did I tell you bout the food? Food like whoa inna a corner. I had me a fish soup, perfect like how mi did damp...where was I?
Oh yeah...backstage, Super Cat and Shabba were having fun greeting and mingling. I snapped up a few shots then went on stage to catch the Ruff Neck Chicken, Jr Demus a get some big forward wid im antics. He did a great job and the crowd loved him. Major Mackerel to my dismay didn't perform for too long, although theDon Man received his usual warm welcome and flew through a catalog of hits that the crowd ate up.
Mek wi talk bout Frankie Paul...wi all love im bad, but Frankie no easy at all. Michy Boo led Franky onto the stage and that was it. Nobody coulda get im off. Even the crowd had to laugh. Frankie wouldn't leave. I think Frankie was trying to do all his cd's last night. The way the man stay long [although all we could do was laugh], when Jabba, Bobby, Michy Boo, and everyone else failed with their attempts to get him off the stage, Super Cat to the amazement of the crowd, picked up a mic and joined Frankie on stage. When the crowd realized that was a slim and sexy Dan Dada whom they hadn't seen in ages, their approval was heard. That vibes up Frankie even more...all when Cat leave the stage, a that time Frankie ready fi start ova. Im wheel up and tell Downbeat [who wasn't even playing] to find a next track and run it. What to do??? You gotta love and respect the veteran.
After what seemed like an eternity, Frankie departed the stage...
Jabba who was also moonlighting as mc, introduced the Outlaw Terry Ganzie, and he in turn introduced someone that I didn't hear the name. I saw the man [heavy set with locks] hit the stage and the crowd erupted...who the hell is this, I thought??? Then it became clear...Courtney Melody to rahtid!!!
'Four Season Lover', 'Modern Girl'...yow, I almost lost my mind. Terry Ganzie gi di man the mic and almost never get it back. Melody dun the place. Although one of my favorite artists from way back when, I had never seen him before. This was my first time, and boy oh boy...I started to feel high. This event was really historic. Michael 'Lick Shot' Palmer was up next and gwaan wid a ting to the delight of the crowd. I don't know if I left anyone out...but I am tired of writing and mi know unno tired of reading.
Jabba introduced the Original Rudeboy Dahved Levy from WBLS who would be the mc for the duration of the show. Dahved came on an did his ting, and of course you done know we all have crazy love for Mr Levy. He brought AJ from BET's 106 & Park...apparently AJ jus get married mi love and that's where they were coming from. A hope im bring im wife wid im...that wouldn't did pretty at all if im go whe and leave har.
Anyway, Mr Levy hyped up the blouse and skirts crowd and introduced the two veteran dj's...when Cat and Shabba hit the stage, all yu could see from the crowd was throat and teeth. Everyone was screaming, screeching and yelling. When Shabba bellowed: A Meeeeeeee Man!!!... mi blood run cold.
I don't have to give you a play by play of their performance, but all I know, if you are a fan of Reggae and Dancehall Music and you were not able to be at this show...mi feel really sorry fi yu. Cat's big brother Fame, along with others were trying in vain to keep the crowd control on the stage. It was futile. At one point, the stage was so crowded everytime Shabba pass im mash mi toe and im sweat splash pon mi. It was pure niceness. No hype...pure love. If this was some a these now-a-days hype up Dancehall artists, they would say things like: security, clear the stage, or mi nah work. Not with these veterans...one hour of chanting none stop. Shabba give it to wi...His Irie Jam performance was nothing compared to this, and the artists were obviously enjoying the joy.
Sista Charmaine, Sluggy Ranks, Don Angelo, Ronnie, Willow Wilson and Jr Cat and Demus touched the mic again. Pure joy. Screechie Dan, I was hoping you'd have touched it too, but yu nuh know...wi love yu still. At 3:30, [although they had the venue till 4], the show was cut. Go figure...the babylon boy dem mussi did ketch dem fraid.
Shabba thanked everyone for coming out...Cat blessed his fans...and the venue was vacated.
Nuff, nuff respect to the Wild Apache Productions family for orchestrating a beautiful event. According to Fame, it was thirteen years in the making...waiting for the perfect time...the younger Cat said, and they said this couldn't be done. Done it was, and we are most grateful.
Just don't take another thirteen years next time, seen!!!
If you still wid mi:View The Pix...