For the first time in a long time, I felt I was at a world-class festival.
By Dennis Howard
Dancehall Night at Reggae Sumfest was special in many ways, firstly it shows the strength of the young people in Jamaica who are still hungry for the popular sound. Secondly, there was hardly any hype about impending clashes or confrontations amongst the deejays and sing-jays who were billed for the event. Nor was there any expectation of any fire burning and gay bashing from any of the usual suspects. Yet despite the usual marketing gimmicks, the turnout was phenomenal. What was significant for me was the effort from the likes of Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, Movado, Kip Rich, Spice and others to create a show for presentation.
Bounty Killer Movado and Vybz Kartel in particular went out of their way to present an act, something that has been lacking in their presentation in the past. The fact that it worked to varying degree for the above-mentioned performers is insignificant. The real story is that dancehall artists are becoming real professionals on stage. It is really heartening to see the effort being made to entertain instead of looking for quick forwards and creating spurts of excitement, as we are used to in dancehall. There was no importation of whole communities armed with fireworks and the dangerous aerosol torches to manufacture crowd response. It seems the recession has caught up with our entertainers. For the first time in a long time, I felt I was at a world-class festival.
Congratulations to all the performers on Dancehall Night, they kept it reasonably clean did not resort to cheap tricks and delivered some great performances, some weak, some boring but all with a professional approach. This is a turning point in popular entertainment that must be recognized and encouraged. The fact that there were so many contenders for the top performer of the night is an indication of the significance of the change in approach by the artists.
Posted on July 27, 2009 14:41
Oh my devil pickney look like a civilized human being...can't trick me though hell bwoy'
Posted on July 27, 2009 14:41
yeh man big up to dancehall and all the artist that performed at sumfest 2009
Posted on July 27, 2009 14:47
For real, one thing though....
Beenie Man need to change his entrance to stage shows he is my artist but his performances are kinda boring me now for real tired a di same thing for real .....Big up
Posted on July 27, 2009 16:29
BIG UP DI GRUNG GAWD YU TEK DI SHOW LIKE DI REAL BIG MAN ....BEEENIE YU BORING NOW...CHRRRRRRPPPSSS.......KARTEL THIS WAS YOUR YEAR FI TEK IT BUT YU DROP DI TING.... WHAT NOW????? YU NUH SI GRUNG GAWD CREATE A UPSET....HAHAAAAHHHAAAAYYYYY
Posted on July 27, 2009 17:56
Congrats to all the artiste who performed well and help to make sumfest one of the best ever. Bless.
Posted on July 27, 2009 19:54
big up u self gaza man
Posted on July 27, 2009 20:35
Unnu tek down dead beat Peter Morgan picture who's not supporting his kids,then he goes on stage singing about people who are hungry in Riverton and his kids are hungry too.Guh sack you mumma s*cky s*cky!Gwey bwoy!
Posted on July 27, 2009 21:18
Yes dancehall night was gr8
most a who performed did well
Bounty killa did his thing
but at the end a di mawning
a Gaza mi seh,, overall it was
a good show .
Posted on July 28, 2009 00:19
Big up gully gawd, ah u run things now, Alliance 4 Life !!!
Posted on July 28, 2009 03:28
Hold up ! you mean to tell me dat Peter morgan nah mine him yutes ? peter morgan ? TRIM U LOCKS PETER U IS A DISGRACE ! MINE U PICKNEY WOKLISS FAT RASTA B*TCH ! AAACHOOO ! TEK SNEEZE INAH U MOUT ! AS FROM TEDAY MI NAH LISTEN TO U MUSIC AGAIN !
Posted on July 28, 2009 08:02
I was there and I am telling you people all over I got my money worth, from SPICE, to Cartel (don't really like him, MOvado, Angel, Kiprich, Beenie, Bounty(him surprise me bad), Neyo, Toni Braxton, Keri Hilson, Lady Saw ( not so impressing but mi love har) Coco T, Taurus Riley well those are the ones I recall well yes they were great performances this year oh Elephant man too Keep it up no slackness, no clash yes for once.
Posted on July 28, 2009 08:51
I am happy that the artists are making an effort to become more professional.
Overall dancehall night was wonderful and it was nice to see Bounti Killer having such a wonderful performance. I think he took the show.
The author of this article mentioned something about the usual suspects and 'gay bashing' but what I would like to know is why should we embrace something so wrong and disgusting as homosexuality? Why aren't the artists allowed to go on stage and in a professional manner inform the audience of the wrongs involved in such a practice? Please don't tell me about gay being a lifestyle choice, these people are seeking to take over every section of society and it seems to be working because Jamaicans are too laid back and easily led.
This is one area I wish the artists would unite and form an association so that they can put on a united front about homosexuality. (I am not condoning violence towards them but rather the dj's should be allowed to tell the audience is wrong and is not a part of what the Creator intended for us)
The only thing that bothered me was Beenie Man never ending quest to be recognized as 'king' of the dancehall. I wish he would stop, this is 2009 not 1996-97 when it could be said he was the number one act and even then Bounti was matching him stride for stride.
This is a new era and Movado is the undisputed number one/king of the dancehall followed closely by Vybez Kartel.
Moses Davis needs to stop this childish quest of his. He will no doubt go down as arguably the best entertainer/stage show performer of all deejays and even so I believe Elephant Man is just as good. But he is no king, a king in my opinion is original and as is the case with beenie the vast majority of his greatest hits are not really his but rather songs he heard and recreated.
Anyways big up to all the artists and let's hope for more things.
Posted on July 28, 2009 09:49
Dancehall is of age until Sting. LOL
Posted on July 28, 2009 10:40
the entertainer should voice out about murderer and rapist .than gays.how many people kids and all is murder so far this year.if you thinks its wrong to be gay leave its to god.but the dirty murderers are more have .a threat right know than gays
Posted on July 28, 2009 11:25
Is Jah Cure with that girl he is with in the pic?
They look ... good together stillz
Posted on July 28, 2009 17:21
i enjoyed myself dancehall night! top performance:
1.ele
2.kartel/beenie
3.buju
4.lady saw
Posted on August 3, 2009 14:02
ALLIANCE MI SEH FI LIFE!! Grung Gad a di top performer fi di night..Kartel performance good likewise di gully god but di bigger boss showed the greatest livel of maturity and silence di badmind pple dem.Beenie perform good except fi one ting him damn performances becomin so predictable mi not even afi watch it fi kno wah him aguh do. King of the dancehall or watever dem ccall him need fi do sumn new.. Anyone who wud think he was the top performer wud be biased!
Posted on August 6, 2009 15:29
is jah cure going to be dating keri hilson now???...does she realize he is a rapist and a convicted one too..why she thinks he was more than willing to take her out....is that what she wants for her career?? an unrepentant rapist that preys and uses women and has no respect for them...shame on u cure...and to keri how many years were u a fan of a rapist...u have no pride at all...guess u seem to forget u are a woman too..ppl why cry down chris brown and big up a rapist like jah cure...
Posted on August 13, 2009 07:01
One Love to all dem brothers and sistrens who kept the fire burning at the festival. Big Up and Jah Bless
Posted on October 14, 2009 05:12
yo,one big up yu fambly anywae yu deh pan.sumfest perfomance lookin criss,Mavado nuff respeck,beenie still luv how yu r handle tings,haffi work a likkle.
Posted on July 27, 2010 01:10
KARTEL MI NUH RATE U AGAIN PADDIE CUZ U NUH MEK YHE BIG MAN TOMMY LEE PERFORM U NOT EVEN CALL UP THE MAN