Reggae on the Beach — Mission Accomplished, Performance Delivered, Audience Loved It!

by Randy

Photo Credit: FABRICE MAUVOIS

THE JOB WAS DONE, THE PERFORMANCE DELIVERED, AND THE AUDIENCE LOVED IT!

“I come to you today dressed in the cloak of shame and desolation. Let me explain!”

THE BIG DAY

On Sunday, November 12, the event “REGGAE ON THE BEACH” organized by LM LE DJ took place at Carbet (you know where that is now).

The title speaks for itself: a festive setup on the beach at Carbet, a sound system, a bar, and food options. A stage adorned with a beautiful banner reading “Ville du Carbet” — in short, everything to delight a large audience that came to listen and vibe with top artists during the live concert featuring Yaniss Odua & Artikal Band and Barrington Levy & his band. Just that!

“Mr.” YANISS ODUA

Where it all went wrong, and it’s entirely my fault, is that I arrived just as Mr. Odua was leaving the stage and I feel so bad, especially since I can sense the energy buzzing around me upon my arrival.

Just good vibrations.

I find myself in the midst of an audience with smiles on their faces, who, as one might say, really enjoyed it!

YANISS ODUA

RESPECT!

I really hesitated to write this article, but wouldn’t it be disrespectful to Mr. Barrington Levy? Speaking of respect, we’ll come back to that later, Mr. Levy.

A short (or so we thought) musical interlude followed warm thanks to Mr. Odua, the audience, and the mayor of Carbet who was present, all concluded with a beautiful promise made by Mr. Léton:

“At every event of this type that I organize, there will always be a Martinican artist.”

…watch out, sir, we’re keeping an eye on you now.

YANISS ODUA & M. LETON

SUPER SELEKTA & DJ HERO

Anyway, Selek Tali and DJ Klyne, donning his selekta cape, take over the turntables and put on a show; it felt like we were at Watabambam 2!

SELEK TALI & DJ KLYNE

The audience is hot and receptive, and the vibe is flowing well. The musicians take their places in the background, and everything is going smoothly. Mr. Levy’s imminent arrival on stage is announced once, then twice, then six times — that’s a lot for an artist who’s just backstage… but the “selektas” hold strong; the pressure must not drop, Yaniss didn’t set the stage ablaze for nothing (as reported by someone who attended his show).

A little aside ( ) I can’t help but burst into laughter when I see him crossing the crowd, hooded and flanked by six bodyguards; I don’t understand at first, initially thinking someone is being exfiltrated due to a fainting spell, so absurd is the scene — but better too much security than not enough, you’d say.

FINALLY…

BARRINGTON LEVY!!

After an hour where my mind had plenty of time to list the potential reasons for this wait (and I know for a fact I had hit the nail on the head).

BARRINGTON LEVY

“Mr. Barrington Lévy shows his face and, in fact… he delivers.”

BARRINGTON LEVY

This man has a voice from another realm, and I forget the wait.

He rolls out the hits, and truly, this naturally modified voice, so easily modifiable, along with his vocal range and ease in playing with notes to create music simply, is just impressive.

I’m literally lost in the twist, and I’m not alone (we should organize disco nights from the roaring twenties in Martinique… it’s probably already happening). Barrington Levy dances, and the audience dances; Barrington Levy sings, and the audience sings.

BIG UP!

In conclusion, I must say I’m left disappointed for having missed Mr. Odua, and I genuinely regret not being able to convey my feelings to you. I’m mixed about Barrington Levy; his performance and voice made me want to listen to his music, while his demeanor made me want to stick to his music.

In terms of organization, there are what we call in event planning “unexpected events” and “risks.” The job was done, the performance was delivered, the audience loved it, and no matter what might happen backstage, “the show must go on,” so BIG UP for managing everything we, the audience, are unaware of, and congratulations on this first Reggae concert you organized, which is no small feat.

See you soon.

- The French KRIBBEAN —