A technical hiccup, which resulted in the event being delayed for nearly an hour, was not enough to dampen the spirits of veteran deejays Beenie Man and Bounty Killer as they joined forces on Sunday to help telecommunications firm Digicel celebrate its 19th year of operations in Jamaica.
The event, which was streamed on Digicel’s social media platform, was set to get going at 5:00 pm, and it did, but just into the opening set by Beenie Man, the feed froze and it was just after 6:00 pm before things got going again. But the two forces of local dancehall music proved that this could not prevent them from entertaining fans, with the numbers hovering around the 6,000-viewer mark at its peak.
Both acts showed that although the reaction and adulation of the audience goes a far way to enhance the performance, it is not an absolute necessity, and in this situation good showmanship and an understanding of stage craft goes a far way.
Beenie Man was his usual infectious self with his set offering the wide range of music that he is known for. For the females, he went for his popular tracks Wickedest Slam, Gal Inna Bungle, Sim Simmer, Zum Zum, and more. He encouraged dancing with some of his bangers King of the Dancehall, Tek Di Middle, Ova Di Wall, Heart Atta ck, Rum and Red Bull and I’m Ok. He even threw in a bit of freestyle work. The most memorable was From A Distance, his take on social distancing in the COVID-19 crisis which sampled Bette Midler’s 90s hit of the same name.
He would turn over the stage to Bounty Killer after close to an hour at the microphone. He, too, gave another of his signature performances, representing the voiceless through his music.
Poor People Fed Up, Born as a Sufferer, Look Into My Eyes, Can’t Believe Mi Eye, Wukliss Bwoy, Living Dangerously, Magnum, More Gyal and It’s Okay were among the anthems that made up his playlist.
He would, however, use the opportunity to encourage Jamaicans to act responsibly in this time.
Among the audience who made their presence felt by sending messages during the live stream were fellow artistes Kemar Highcon, Konshens, Romain Virgo, Jamila Falak, and Jesse Royal. Businessman Gary Matalon and international cricketer Chris Gayle also made their presence felt, as did hip-hop artiste Safaree.
