THE SECOND staging of Sashi took place at the James Bond Beach, in Oracabessa, St. Mary last Sunday. What is clear is that the event does have some pull.
The F150s rolled into the Jamaican north coast like an assembly line. Jamaica should support an event like Sashi, as it can do much for the local economy.
Brian McKnight showed why his latest album Back At One is appropriately titled. He was certainly a good choice for the line-up. Most persons who attended believed that the show would have been worth the price of the ticket even if no one else appeared with McKnight.
There are many, however, who are questioning the choice of Lil' Kim for the event. What is not clear is whether she did make a difference in the attendance figures. Her act certainly did not go over too well, especially with a good portion of the audience many of whom are averse to the public admission of taking part in oral sex.
Next fared even worse, as they seemed bent on dealing with a subject that is basically taboo in Jamaica. Promoters need to be very careful about the acts they choose to perform in Jamaica. Many times an act might be very popular in the United States, but yet be a virtual unknown in Jamaica.
While rap music enjoys a high degree of popularity in Jamaica the artistes associated with the music really do not. We have seen instances of many of these rap artistes coming to Jamaica and failing to make an impression either on the attendance numbers or through their performance.
Promoters should also brief overseas acts on cultural practices and which of their songs are popular in this market. We have heard so many overseas acts explain after a show that they didn't realise a particular song was so popular here.
This is due to the fact that songs that are popular here might not have been a hit for the artistes back home. The promoters, therefore, will have to produce the stage shows to avoid instances where potentially popular artistes provide a string of songs unfamiliar with the audience.
THE IRIE FM Road Show last Friday was a big success in Ocho Rios. The event was appropriately staged on James Avenue which Jamaican music legend Jack Ruby renamed Music Avenue.
Music Avenue was the headquarters of Jack Ruby's musical empire and where a restaurant and entertainment complex in his honour still stands.
Thousands came out to pay tribute to the station which for the past 10 years has been a powerful force in Jamaican media.
Beenie Man, Tanto Metro and Devonte and Ninja Man were present and had a strong impact on the crowd. Ricky Rudie, 'the Bling Dawg', showed that he is now moving up in the big league, drawing a number of 'forwards' for his performance.
G. T. Taylor and Mighty Mike were among those who provided musical selections. Mutabaruka certainly had the crowd going down memory lane.
On Monday, as part of the celebrations, the station had Dennis Howard reliving some of his days as a jock on 'Reggae Radio'. He played some refreshing selections and showed that he has a right to level criticism on the quality of music being played on the air.
