This post is sidetracking a bit, but it still falls under the entertainment category.
As an "uptown" yute, I remember going to a stageshow at the Pulse HQ on Trafalgar Road some years back. The featured act was the American R & B group, Shai, who had the big hit, "If I ever Fall in Love". Now for those of you who can appreciate good stage performers, well then, Shai has to be at the top of the list. Their stint on stage lasted for about 30 minutes, and honestly, I cannot rember if they did another song besides "If I ever Fall in Love". That song was very popular in Jamaica at the time, and it had been redone by one of our local artiste. When the band hit the first note of the song, the crowd (which was about 70 - 80% female) went into a frenzy. Shai rearranged the song and worked that song and the audience for about 15 - 20 minutes. When they were finished, I felt that I owed the promoters some money for a well-packaged show. To this day, my wife and I still laugh over the fact that Shai did "one" song and conned us out of our money.
I also remember seeing both Beenie Man and Bounty Killer on stage at the same venue. Both artiste performed without the "pullups" and "rewinds" and completed their songs. Beenie Man went as far as performing a tap dance routine and Bounty Killer sang while Ritchie Stevens DJ'ed on their big hit. The audience lapped it up. If my memory serves me correct, I think Frankie Paul opened the show. Now that was a well organised show by Pulse. Money extremely well spent.
Then I remember seeing R Kelly at JamWorld. That was a major flop in terms of attendance and stage performance. The tickets were priced too high. I came to the conclusion that R Kelly is definitely not a very good stage performer after seeing him at the Radio City Music Hall about 2 years ago. The man has enough hits to do a show 4 hours long. However, with all those classic hit tunes, his performance still came across flat. He uses a lot of glitz and technology to boost his shows, just like the one in Jamaica, instead of just working those monster songs of his.
The best live stage performance that I have witnessed to date is Celine Dion at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas, 2006. I am not a "big" fan of hers, but I got a show worth US$250 for my US$120 (near the nose-bleed section). I was amazed by the production as a whole, plus the clarity and crispness of her voice. At times I wondered if she was lip-synching, but was reassured when I saw and heard her breathing in time to the music. Of course, that humungous stage was built specifically for her, and the sound system and general acoustics of the place showed the millions spent. That show remains one of my best experiences.
As an "uptown" yute, I remember going to a stageshow at the Pulse HQ on Trafalgar Road some years back. The featured act was the American R & B group, Shai, who had the big hit, "If I ever Fall in Love". Now for those of you who can appreciate good stage performers, well then, Shai has to be at the top of the list. Their stint on stage lasted for about 30 minutes, and honestly, I cannot rember if they did another song besides "If I ever Fall in Love". That song was very popular in Jamaica at the time, and it had been redone by one of our local artiste. When the band hit the first note of the song, the crowd (which was about 70 - 80% female) went into a frenzy. Shai rearranged the song and worked that song and the audience for about 15 - 20 minutes. When they were finished, I felt that I owed the promoters some money for a well-packaged show. To this day, my wife and I still laugh over the fact that Shai did "one" song and conned us out of our money.
I also remember seeing both Beenie Man and Bounty Killer on stage at the same venue. Both artiste performed without the "pullups" and "rewinds" and completed their songs. Beenie Man went as far as performing a tap dance routine and Bounty Killer sang while Ritchie Stevens DJ'ed on their big hit. The audience lapped it up. If my memory serves me correct, I think Frankie Paul opened the show. Now that was a well organised show by Pulse. Money extremely well spent.
Then I remember seeing R Kelly at JamWorld. That was a major flop in terms of attendance and stage performance. The tickets were priced too high. I came to the conclusion that R Kelly is definitely not a very good stage performer after seeing him at the Radio City Music Hall about 2 years ago. The man has enough hits to do a show 4 hours long. However, with all those classic hit tunes, his performance still came across flat. He uses a lot of glitz and technology to boost his shows, just like the one in Jamaica, instead of just working those monster songs of his.
The best live stage performance that I have witnessed to date is Celine Dion at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas, 2006. I am not a "big" fan of hers, but I got a show worth US$250 for my US$120 (near the nose-bleed section). I was amazed by the production as a whole, plus the clarity and crispness of her voice. At times I wondered if she was lip-synching, but was reassured when I saw and heard her breathing in time to the music. Of course, that humungous stage was built specifically for her, and the sound system and general acoustics of the place showed the millions spent. That show remains one of my best experiences.
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