Dennis Brown Concert Enjoys Successful Staging

© The Jamaica Gleaner
Genre : Society news
Contact details Shereita Grizzle
Principal country concerned : Column : Music
Release/publication date : 2014
Published on : 26/02/2014
Source : Jamaica Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140226/ent/ent1.html


The Waterfront in downtown Kingston was the place to be on Sunday for the fifth staging of the annual tribute to the Crown Prince of Reggae, the late Dennis Emmanuel Brown.



This year, the concert overcame tremendous sponsorship woes with the help of the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, among others, and the cool, serene location provided the perfect venue for an evening of good family fun and entertainment.



Massive crowds converged on the Bank of Jamaica car park to soak up an evening of authentic reggae music.



The set-up provided by Starlight Company ensured that no matter where you were standing in the crowd, you wouldn't miss the action on stage.



Hosted by Michael'Stringbean' Nicholson, the first segment of the show turned out to be a preview of what was to come.



Earl'Chinna' Smith and Inna Di Yaad band set the tone for the evening by getting the huge crowd warmed up in the first segment.



Various tributes to the Crown Prince, included artistes doing very lively renditions of his numerous hits, the highlight of the first segment coming when Bermudan native Magma touched the stage.



His energy had the crowd in a frenzy and left them wanting more when he made his exit.



In the second segment,'Stringbean' made way for Chairman of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), Ibo Cooper, and his co-host Empress Isis.



The concert only gained momentum from here, with Dennis Brown's original backing band Lloyd Parkes and We The People taking things to a whole new level.



They thrilled the crowd with Dennis Brown favourites then made way for Tristan Palmer, whose short, energy-packed performance further ignited the audience. The night's other notable performances came from powerhouse cabaret singer Georgia Henry, Bangarang singer StrangeJah Cole, Junior Sinclair and King Sounds.



Marla Brown, the youngest child of the late reggae icon, took the mic and began belting out the lyrics to some of her father's most popular hits. She delivered a brilliant set, which sent the audience into sheer nostalgia as her performance reminded them of Dennis Brown.



Remarks about how much she resembled her father could be heard all around the car park. Her renditions of Silhouette and How Could I Leave were obvious crowd-pleasers, but it was her original song, Here Comes the King, that gave young Brown her biggest and most favourable response from the crowd.



The song was dedicated to her father and was her own personal tribute to his life and work.



Following her performance was a presentation of an International Reggae Day Award, dedicated to The Crown Prince for his contribution to the genre.



Other performers for the night included George Nooks, Nature, I-Wayne, and Iba Mahr.



Junior Lincoln, finance director of JaRIA, said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support for the life of Dennis Brown, and revealed that he was looking forward to hosting the concert for many more years to come.



"Like every other event, it had its weaknesses, but the important thing was the people were having a great time and the set was awesome. It definitely enhanced the beauty of the place," he said.



Lincoln also said that the concert was a perfect reflection of who Dennis Brown was.


"It was just beautiful, the love and camaraderie reflect who Dennis Brown was, his life and work. I refuse to drop the ball on this. I try to improve every year, and with the support of corporate Jamaica, this initiative will continue. I just want the corporate world to sponsor more events like these which showcase the best of reggae music for all ages."

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