When the curtain finally came down on the 16th Annual “Rebel Salute”, in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, patrons straggled out in good spirits given no spirits were permitted at the show. Most had been there about twelve hours from early the night before. Hosted by reggae star, Tony Rebel, the show featured carefully selected artistes who subscribe to the general tenets of a civil and more just society and to the exclusion of many notables who subscribe to the gang violence that haunts the island and many of our communities around the world. There was some of the anti gay rhetoric but deci
dedly more pro heterosexual than the usual threats of violence directed at gays. So I Wayne and a few others did ask the question as to why a man or woman would ignore the obvious gifts of the opposite sex and opt for same sex experiences. The reception was mild and not the usual wild fireballs and horns. Rebel the night beforeIn addition to the ban on alcohol, meat and meat products were also excluded from the concession stands. Instead, more than ample supplies
of ital and various soy and vegetable preparations were available along with sugar cane, various roots drinks and of course the ‘treez’. No really, I saw someone selling weed from a whole tree. He had only a three to four foot branch. But you could see where the branch had been detached from the main trunk. He must have sold out. I never saw him again. But he had numerous competitors chanting “high grade” as they searched for buyers with fingers clasped around various sized but smaller branches of ‘treez’. No time for the formality of wrapping. The total result was a very mellow crowd of about 10 to 15 thousand people with no reported acts of violence.: quite an achievement in a country with 2000 murders in 2008. Even lost credit cards and keys were being turned in and claimed.
As to the music: even the parade of no name novices were good. The sons of Garnett Silk and Leroy Sibbles did well. Leroy Sibbles also performed. Garnett Silk was honored. The story is that Tony Rebel discovered Garnett Silk and encouraged him to leave the dancehall singjaying and to sing instead. He did that very well until his untimely death. Garnett’s family remains part of the Flames organization headed by ‘Rebel’. That is one of the things we need in the community, loyalty. However, it must not be blind. In the mawnin
dedly more pro heterosexual than the usual threats of violence directed at gays. So I Wayne and a few others did ask the question as to why a man or woman would ignore the obvious gifts of the opposite sex and opt for same sex experiences. The reception was mild and not the usual wild fireballs and horns. Rebel the night beforeIn addition to the ban on alcohol, meat and meat products were also excluded from the concession stands. Instead, more than ample supplies of ital and various soy and vegetable preparations were available along with sugar cane, various roots drinks and of course the ‘treez’. No really, I saw someone selling weed from a whole tree. He had only a three to four foot branch. But you could see where the branch had been detached from the main trunk. He must have sold out. I never saw him again. But he had numerous competitors chanting “high grade” as they searched for buyers with fingers clasped around various sized but smaller branches of ‘treez’. No time for the formality of wrapping. The total result was a very mellow crowd of about 10 to 15 thousand people with no reported acts of violence.: quite an achievement in a country with 2000 murders in 2008. Even lost credit cards and keys were being turned in and claimed.
As to the music: even the parade of no name novices were good. The sons of Garnett Silk and Leroy Sibbles did well. Leroy Sibbles also performed. Garnett Silk was honored. The story is that Tony Rebel discovered Garnett Silk and encouraged him to leave the dancehall singjaying and to sing instead. He did that very well until his untimely death. Garnett’s family remains part of the Flames organization headed by ‘Rebel’. That is one of the things we need in the community, loyalty. However, it must not be blind. In the mawnin
But for me lil Errol Dunkley was the musical highlight in a night of many. He started singing at age 11, a long long time ago, and thus the moniker ‘lil”. But even at his current age he is still “lil” at about 5 feet in shoes and resplendent in blue hat and suit. But a voice so tall and a delivery so smooth, so effortless, it revealed the sound foundation of Jamaica’s music and the surety of its future. Ras Moses was still on stage when I left the show at about 9.00. I had been there from about 7.00 pm the night before. In the taxi from Junction to Mandeville, the driver remarked he had heard some complaints of the show having too many older performers. I ventured that Ras Moses (Beenie man) performed. Cherine Anderson, Queen Ifrika, Capleton, Warrior King and several younger ones performed. I had no idea who was on the card when I arrived at the venue. I like the youth too, Vibes Cartoon and Mafraudo, but this wasn’t that kind of party. After all it was named in honor of Barack Obama. Fyakin quoted Obama as saying ‘reggae was one of his favorite musics and Marley in particular, a love’. Inauguration was just two days away. It was that kind of party. We can only hope that the tenets laid out by Marley are understood and local and international action is taken to lift the burden of the cash driven society from our communities. Remove the evil of capitalist greed so we can walk in our communities again without fear of being relieved of our cash or worse.
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