From left, Ninja Man and Macka Diamond
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
CELEBRATING A birthday, or 'earth strong' as some Rastafarian artistes put it, has become more than just a mere gathering of close friends and family in Jamaica. Well by artiste standards, anyway, as they have evolved into heavily-promoted events with massive turnouts, most times taking the form of a stage show.
Many will ask why artistes have deemed it necessary to throw these big birthday bashes, as nearly every major artiste is currently doing it.
Deejay Ninja Man says it's something he does every year, but persons should not be fooled as he has two parties, one for his friends and family in his community and one for his fans. The difference between the two is that he looks to make a profit from one.
"Mi keep it (birthday bash) every year. It use to keep a Montego Bay, Pier One, den mi move it to Toll Gate a Clarendon. Some artiste keep it fi a different reason. Me keep a birthday party inna my community a St. Mary, either Hamilton Mount or Funkybell, an every-ting free, our night. An den mi have mi birthday bash weh mi artiste fren dem come an wi mek back a money fi give back som'n toward wi people weh stand up fi wi ova di years," Ninja Man explained.
Turbulence says he sees the birthday bash as one big celebration with friends and as something that could actually help to keep the crime rate down.
"Me keep my own because a jus di celebration. Fi me is jus a celebration ting. Everybody a close fren fi me an di Bible seh 'how good an how pleasant it is for us to dwell in the sight of the King'. Mek music tek ova di people dem soul. It wi occupy dem time an keep dem away from the crime," Turbulence said.
Still, Turbulence says "It tek a lot fi keep a birthday bash but yuh nah really mek nutt'n out a it." He insists: "Mi a try keep mine every year an mi feel every artiste shoulda keep one."
If it is one thing that you have to give credit to the artistes when they celebrate their birthday or 'earth strong' for is that they really know how to party. And for many patrons who attend the event, it is often a joyous occasion filled with a variety of artistes who have turned out in their numbers tosupport their colleague by way of performing.
Artistes like General B, Macka Diamond and Lady Saw have been known to hold big birthday celebrations each year, some even rolling out the red carpet and popping champagne while others arrive in fine style via limousine.
The most recent bashment to be held saw Lady Saw celebrating her 37th birthday over this weekend at the Alpart Sports Club in St. Elizabeth.
Saw, who took no chances in booking the live performance section of her show this year, said in an earlier interview with The Sunday Gleaner, "I pay these people to come to my show and they will be coming."
Billed for Saw's show were overseas acts, Remy Martin and Akon, while locally, the likes of Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Vybz Kartel, Wayne Marshall, Busy Signal, Spice, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs and others were slated to be present.
There are a couple first-timers that have joined the 'birthday bash' trend this year, among them Fire Passion, D'Angel and Don Mafia.
As Passion explains, however, when the event was originally conceptualised, she had not planned for anything big.
"First, I was going to have a little thing at the studio but Daddy (Sugar Minot) say 'No, man. Come wi have it somewhere where people can come,' and we found somewhere central in the middle of Half-Way Tree (Limelight Club). That was my first and all my artiste friends saying I should do it again. I didn't do it for the turnout or the money, but just for my artiste friends to be around me and my family... If it grow to be a bigger event then fine," Fire Passion said.
Singer George Nooks is among the few not to have ever held a birthday bash.
"Maybe a nuh my time yet, but sometimes is a financial ting. People don't just do it jus fi do it; yuh haffi spen money an some artiste a guh expec fi get back money, but sometimes it don't work out. Mi nuh know why me nuh do it yet. Everybody else have one but I guess a true mi too low key. I'm a laid-back artiste," Nooks said.
Whatever the reason behind the artistes throwing these huge birthday bashes or 'earth strong' celebrations, it is clear that patrons and artistes alike enjoy the party atmosphere, all having a grand time.
