With Michael Jackson dying shortly before last weekend's party period, there wasn't time to organise a formal musical tribute (if anyone is so inclined in the first place).

Still, there was a pair of informal tributes at two events over the weekend, a concert in the Kingston On the Edge (KOTE) Urban Art Festival's closing stages and the first studio session of Digicel Rising Stars 2009.

When Dubtonic Kru closed off the KOTE concert in the first few minutes of the first hour of Saturday with their Born Jamaican, there were hollers for more from the small audience. After a brief consultation among themselves, they played No More.

Then guitarist/vocalist Jallanzo said, "You supposed to hear the news by now, about Michael Jackson. We going to sing a tribute to him, but is not one of his songs".

Naturally, the opening notes of Bob Marley's Redemption Song were recognised, Jallanzo taking the first verse and Kamau the second in a good rendition by the full band of Marley's bare bones classic.

Inside the Courtleigh Auditorium, New Kingston, Digicel Rising Stars judges Anthony Miller and Clyde McKenzie counted for their sound checks. Nadine Sutherland, however, sang for hers, crooning a line or two from Michael Jackson's Gone Too Soon.

And during one of several breaks of the show, Surtherland and host Yendi Philipps spoke a little to each other about MJ, Philips doing a quick move identifiable with the gloved wonder.

But it was her playful pretence attempt at doing the moonwalk in very high stilettos which had the audience chuckling, Philipps moving a couple inches backwards as she laughed.

- MC