By Coral Consciouslee
18th June 2016
One of the main reasons I was looking forward to Gary
Digitec’s “Men With Voices” showcase was because this was yet another example
of someone taking the initiative to promote the artist, instead of waiting for
things to happen.
There were some on the bill that I had never had the
pleasure of hearing before (Sparky Rugged, Junior Chin, Grantie Asher) which
for me made it even more interesting.
When it comes to Hootananny, it is mainly outside of the building that
one meets others in the industry, before the show starts; most of the time it
is those we haven’t seen a while and then have the opportunity to have a good
old catch-up. Suffice to say it is
definitely a networking opportunity!
Warming up beforehand in his own unique style was Darren
Stylee Truecolour Sound, a DJ who is definitely contributing to and supporting
UK Reggae.
The show started fairly on time, with a good size crowd already
gathered, following a call to order by DJ Mikey Notch formerly of RJR Radio, who
would be the compere for the evening: his style suited the show and lent a
professional touch to the proceedings. Supporting the artists would be the
Digitec All Star Band, featuring some of the best musicians in the business.
Together they provided a tight set, showing that practice had indeed taken
place. Also supporting were backing
singers Michelle Creese and Tahamene Park.
The show was opened by gospel artist Joshua Kesler. Here is a secret: Joshua and I used to sing
together in the choir back in the day! It was good to see that he was still
singing and sharing his talent. He was followed by Sparky Rugged who caused a
storm by dancing with a voluptuous woman to his own rendition of “Hey Fatty
Boom Boom” we were definitely entertained!.
Previously I had heard a “snippet” of Claude Darroux at
Allison Mason’s Shining Stars Showcase, so it was a pleasure to hear what this
gentleman had to offer. I was not
disappointed – he can definitely hold his own as a soloist. We were treated to another romantic reggae
singer in the shape of Junior Chin; it was interesting to see the different
vocal ranges of each artist. Another
singer I had not heard before was Grantie Asher reminding us of those romantic
dances and falling in love. His
expressions when he is singing kept the listener engaged all the way.
Kareem Shabazz, surprised us with an eclectic reggae style
rendition of songs which definitely showed how versatile an artist he is; props
to the guitar player. When it comes to showmanship they don’t come any better
than JayJayBorn2Sing! Like his appearance his voice always has an impact.
Closing the show was reggae veteran Mike
Antony, a small man with a big voice who is still showing how it is done. The show lasted a hour and a half and I thoroughly enjoyed
it. Judging by the response of those who
attended they felt the same. It pleases
me to say this was a very well executed show and showed that there are some
very strong male vocalists right here in the UK.
Gary Digitec told me that there are more shows coming soon –
if this show is anything to go by I would recommend them. Well done to Gary Digitec, all the artists,
Mikey Notch, Darren Stylee Truecoloursound, the Digitec All Star Band, Cecil
Reuben, the backing singers, indeed all who contributed to what turned out to
be a very successful evening.
Long may
it continue.
**Artist photos courtesy of Courtney Anglin
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