Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Della Manley - File photos

When the Griot Music-produced series of Friday evening concerts in May went 'Acoustic' in its latest installment, reggae was not left out.

However when Bijean Gayle and headliner Della Manley, who performed along with Janine Cunningham at RedBones, the Blues Café, interpreted popular reggae songs (or songs made popular by Jamaican singers) they explored nuances that are sometimes drowned out by drum and bass.

There was no chance of that sort of low-frequency dominance on Friday, as the band of Seretse (guitar), Sheldon (flute), Denver (congas), Garth (guitar) and Aeion (bass) was unplugged and in sync with the vocalists.

Before the 'yard' interpretations of popular songs by Bijean and Della, each performer's set was dominated by their own material. Janine reworked Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror, making it gender correct in the process as she sang "I'm starting with the one in the mirror, I'm asking her to change her ways". She was a strong performer, standing as she put all into her delivery.

After opening with Music Inside, Bijean said: "The next song is a popular song. I really enjoy it, because it is about children speaking their minds. I used to sing it when I was in primary school, every single day." With that he moved into 'Listen to the Voices', made popular by Junior Reid, the opening line "old man, your race is run" lifting over the din of some of the diners and drinkers.

On Redemption Song, he said: "When I think about freedom, I think about power. The power to say Jah, the power to say Allah, the power to say Jesus Christ- The really important thing is to own that power." And he also gave acoustic treatment to Beres Hammond's They're Gonna Talk, one guitarist dropping in the rhythmic 'cheng' of reggae, though not in the expected places.

With two albums to draw from, Della Manley's near hour-long set was dominated by her own material, from the plaintive Why? to the ruminative City Lights, the uptempo It's Okay to the quiet Bittersweet. But she did excellent interpretations of Junior Byles' Fade Away and Book of Rules, made popular by The Heptones, her quiet delivery carrying the lyrical content and philosophical groundings of the songs effectively.

The series continues this Friday with the blues of Robin Banks, who emceed the 'Acoustic' session, then closes with Benjy Myaz the following week.