BY MEL COOKE, Freelance Writer
Daniel Brown, son of Dennis Brown (left) performing with Gregory Isaacs at JAVAA Jammin' 'Remembering Dennis Brown, Crown Prince of Reggae', held at Oakton Park Entertainment Complex, Hagley Park Road, Half-Way-Tree on Friday. - WINSTON SILL
WHEN DANIEL BROWN, son of Dennis Brown, along with Gregory Isaacs, chanted "muffin, muffin, muffin" on the mix from Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band on Friday night, the audience cheered.
It was a moment in which generations blended voices to celebrate Dennis Brown's 49th birthday, two days after the actual date and over six years after his death, as the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) held its first major show at its new Oakton Park, Half-Way Tree, headquarters.
Short performances were the order of the night at JAVAA's Remembering The Crown Prince, with over 40 performers delivering mainly Dennis Brown songs to an appreciable audience. The audience showed its greatest appreciation to Brown's contemporaries, Isaacs, Freddie McGreggor, George Nooks and Ruddy Thomas, as well as his elder Ken Boothe, vocal descendant Luciano and Noddy Virtue, who injected tremendous energy into Should I.
Derrick Harriott, one of two persons that night who did not sing a Dennis Brown song, went back to one of his own , Solomon, which Dennis Brown used to sing when he was so small he had to be placed on a box to reach the microphone. AJ Brown came a little forward in the Crown Prince of Reggae's career with his first recording No Man Is An Island, while Brian and Tony Gold harmonised the near end with an a capella version of Poison, which they recorded with him.
Ras Manditio intoned "You know what live an' direc' mean? Before delving into Brown's lover's rock catalogue with Love Has Found It's Way, while Ken Bob went into the rockers of Wolves and Leopards.
There were also rockers from Orville 'Bagga' Case with Ghetto Girl and, as the range of topics in Dennis Brown's catalogue was explored, Angella Stewart delivered Equal Rights.
PAID HOMAGE
A few performers did not have to speak, cheers going up at the start and end of guitarist Dwight Pinkney's rendition of his own composition, How Could I Live? recorded by Dennis Brown, and saxophonist 'Deadly Headley' Bennett doing Perhaps. Benjy Myaz spanned instrument and voice, playing lead with his bass and singing the chorus of Caress Me Girl, while Tony Rebel crossed into singer's land with an appreciated version of How Could I Live?
Generation next paid homage to Brown, Tarrus Riley adjusting the lyrics of Promised Land to sing:
"Then I said give thanks to Dennis Emmanuel Brown
Cause he inspire I an' I the children and many more to sing
Sweet positive song and beautiful melody ..."
Riley also paid homage to another singer who has died. "I want to pay respect to the great Brent Dowe, who passed on recently," he said.
Also on the younger side was Christopher Martin, the cheers going up as the horn line hit home and getting louder as Martin sang "now I know ..." He took it from the top and, coming to the end, hit and held "heart" as the audience cheered.
And during the band change break, before Winston 'Merritone' Blake underscored the depth of Brown's catalogue by playing several songs which were not performed that night, poet Dionne, with the inclusion of a recording, gave an overview of Brown's life, including several mentions of big yard' on Orange Street.
The Fabulous Five Incorporated and Lloyd Parkes and We The People bands provided the music, with Junior Sinclair hosting the entire evening.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 