Deejays Shine (left) and Jagga during their battle in the Heineken Green Synergy competition recently. - Contributed

The first semi-final of the Heineken Green Synergy was an intense musical battle between DJ Shine and DJ Jagga. Musical bombs were dropped and melodious missiles were fired in retaliation, much to the delight of the audience and judges.

However, when the smoke cleared both combatants seemed to be deadlocked, with DJ Jagga having the slight edge in momentum.

Overall, the panel of judges that included Colin Hines, Kurt Riley and guest judge Stacious, were as impressed with the contest as the fans of the respective disc jocks were. But it will be the fans who decide who advances to the finals.

The battle was waged over two five-minute rounds. In the first round, each disc jockey has to use the time to rock the audience with his or her mixes. In the second, the DJ's go head to head in a musical showdown.

DJ Jagga from Portland began his first round impressively with a mix of tunes that included Nuh Linga and a host of contemporary dancehall hits. He had the crowd jumping, but as he played on, the energy fell noticeably.

DJ Shine, on the other hand, presented a more masterful display of mixing. His transitions were much smoother and he incorporated several genres. In what was a defining moment of his five-minute stint, DJ Shine who hails from Spanish Town, mixed the theme track to Fresh Prince of Belair and then easily transitioned to dancehall. It was impressive. The judges agreed.

"Shine's presentation was better," opined Kurt Riley, adding that it was the best he heard from the DJ during the course of the competition.

Hines added that Jagga's mixing was 'off'. Shine, he said, put more thought into his presentation and had good energy. "He presented a better set," Hines concluded.

But if Jagga was outdone in the first segment, it was because he knew he had a card up his sleeve which he unleashed on an unsuspecting Shine during the tune-for-tune segment.

Jagga, as he did in the first segment, began with much energy which depended on dub-plates created for the occasion. However, this time there was no letting up.

The studio at the Public Broadcasting Corporation was on fire. Earlier, Shine seemed like he was poised to make a comeback, when a makeshift coffin was brought onstage, but Jagga was prepared. The Portland native unleashed a Louie Culture dub-plate that literally 'mashed up' the place and just like that, it was over.

"Jagga sort it out!" Stacious declared.

Hines put it all into perspective saying he believed the battle was even until Jagga 'drew for' the Louie Culture dub and then it was done. Jagga, he said, was the clear winner.

The judges, however, have no say in who goes forward.

The public is being asked to vote by dialling 444-6935 and the number 4 if they're voting for DJ Shine or the number 5 if they're voting for DJ Jagga.