Dreams come true at Rebel Salute 2019
For quite a few artists, it is definitely their dream come true to perform at Rebel Salute. Dubbed the People’s Show, the 26th annual staging of Rebel Salute took place on January 18th & 19th in St. Ann, Jamaica. The two day event best described as two all nighters is a great experience where you get to see a little bit of everything.
It’s not every day that fans are able to see popular newcomers as well as veteran artists all on the same platform – some for the very first time. Numerous dancehall artists are also included each year performing a more conscious set for the diverse audience in attendance. And that is exactly what makes the Rebel Salute experience unique.
Highlights from Friday night!
Friday night paid tribute to foundation artists such as the Mighty Diamonds celebrating 50 years this year as well as a fantastic set by the Wailing Souls duo of Winston “Pipe” Matthews and Lloyd “Bread” McDonald.
Eighteen year old sensation, Koffee who had her first appearance last year as a guest of Cocoa Tea had her very own set with her own band to highlight what a difference a year makes. She performed a lively set of her hit songs including Burning, Toast and Raggmuffin. Reggae music is alive and well!
A number of veteran artists made their mark during the middle segment of Rebel Salute.
Dawn Penn making her first performance at Rebel Salute sang a few covers such as The First Cut is the Deepest and The Tide Is High before delivering her signature song No, No, No.
Anthony Malvo had a solid set of his greatest songs and also introduced his daughter, Tiffany Malvo to the Rebel Salute audience.
Leroy Gibbons commanded the stage and serenaded the audience with numerous classics including his mega hits, That Magic Moment and Missing You. Wayne Marshall had an inspiring set and closed out with his 2018 gospel hit , Glory to God.
Tony Rebel who just celebrated his birthday earlier in the week was in great spirits as he entertained the audience with a steady stream of crowd favorite songs including, Fresh Vegetable, Sweet Jamaica, and If Jah is on my Side. He also gave thanks and acknowledged the presence of Mia Mottley, the Barbados Prime Minister in attendance on Friday evening.
The legendary Wailers made their first performance on Rebel Salute. Do to health concerns, Aston “Family Man” Barrett is not currently playing with the band. They brought him out on stage in a wheelchair for a brief appearance. Keyboard player Tyrone Downie represented as one of the original members of the Wailers
Another memorable moment included a solo appearance by Cat Coore of Third World. Fans are quite familiar with Cat performing a cello solo of Redemption Song at Third World concerts. This time fans had a special treat of having Cat Coore perform his own Cello segment.
Sweet Reggae Vibes continued during Luciano’s set
He also gave some time to young talents that he wanted to highlight. The emcee thanked Luciano for allowing time for the youths and acknowledged Luciano’s backing vocalists which are a powerful mother / daughter duo.
Capleton brought his good over evil energy to the pre-dawn segment of the show with hit after hit including Jah Jah City, Rockstone, and Rocky Road.
Legend Mykal Rose brought the Reggae Party in session as he kicked off his set with the 1998 hit. The audience engaged in popular sing-along selections of Solidarity, Shine Eye Gal, General Penitentiary and Plastic Smile. He also performed a great new rendition of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, his recent collaboration with Tarrus Riley. He closed out his well received set with The Mission.
The early morning belonged to Junior Kelly who gave an energized performance with hits including Take this Love, Sick a Dem Story, and concluded with Love So Nice . Up and coming talent Jahbari joined him on set to drop his new song, I want to be your Hero.
The morning segment continued with strong sets from Perfect Giddimani and Chuck Fendah.
Surprise guest Cherine Anderson joined Chuck Fendah to perform their 2007 hit song collaboration Coming Over. The original Outlaw, Terry Ganzie brought the fyah in the morning for his brief performance at Rebel Salute. Nearing 8:00am, The herbalist Chezidek followed to wrap up the opening night / morning of Rebel Salute 2019.
Highlights from Saturday Night
When I arrived for night two of Rebel Salute, Yellowman was just reaching the stage. As always he was full of energy and had a couple surprise guests in store including Papa Michigan!
Just like Anthony Malvo the previous night, Yellowman is also passing the torch to his daughter, K’reema. For Rebel Salute, K’Reema performed a duo with her father on Blueberry Hill. Both were sporting matching camouflage attire from their new clothing line Zunguzung, named after King Yellowman’s chart-topping hit Zungguzungguguzungguzeng.
Roots Reggae band Chalice made their second appearance at Rebel Salute. Long-time Chalice fans were thrilled to hear some of their favorite hits songs. This proves great bands are not forgotten; even though Chalice has not performed there for some years, fans were still singing along word-for-word.
For the next segment of Rebel Salute, strong back to back performances continued from a number of veteran performers including Half Pint, Louie Culture, King Sound and Leroy Don Smart.
A new generation of rockers were up next. Dre Island and Jesse Royal each had their time to shine on stage showcasing their well known hit songs.
Queen Ifrica gave a passionate performance. Always known to speak her mind on important issues, she had a lot to say to the audience as well as to several Jamaican government officials in attendance. Cabinet officials present included Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Opposition Leader Peter Phillips, and Minister of Culture, Babsy Grange.
Big Changes coming
Seated on the edge of the stage, Queen Ifrica sang A Nuh We Dis, requesting that Prime Minister Holness pay close attention to the lyrics. The 2018 song addresses concerns in Jamaica. It is featured on the Changes Riddim, which pays homage to the 20th anniversary of Tupac’s powerful song Changes.
The latter part of the evening contained numerous dancehall artists with Agent Sasco taking the lead next. He opened his dynamic set with Hope River, the title track of his 2018 album.
Dreams come true for two African artists
Not all performers have previously had the opportunity to perform at Rebel Salute. For two African artists, they both described their experience as a dream come true.
The first to perform was Bobi Wine, from Uganda. He also happens to be a member of parliament. He described how he grew up watching all the Jamaican stage shows naming Sting and Summer Splash as two such festivals. Most importantly he named Rebel Salute as a major inspiration.
Bobi Wine aka the Ghetto President received a rousing response from the audience when he declared “I want to sing my African DJ style on a Jamaican Riddim,” then went on to perform his song on the classic King Jammy Punanny riddim!
The 2nd African artist to perform was Nigerian dancehall / afrobeat artist Patoranking. Just prior to daybreak, Patoranking had the crowd on their feet dancing along with him to the energetic beats. Rebel Salute dancer Grizzly Bear made a return to the stage; he traded fun dance moves with Patoranking and his dancers.
More morning acts continued to flow well past the ending time of the first night of Rebel Salute.
Blessing the stage, Mr. Vegas brought more fun and excitement to the stage sporting a 1970’s style outfit. He continued the momentum with a steady string of his hit songs. By now, a cool refreshing morning breeze was hitting the stage while the audience stayed fully engaged.
Originally scheduled for opening night, Wayne Wonder made an unexpected appearance. He thrilled the audience with hit after hit of his classics.
Rodney Price better known as the Five Star General, Bounty Killer was up next with a strong conscious performance making his the last act of the dancehall segment.
Nesbeth paid tribute to his late wife Ann Marie Elliot Nesbeth and performed songs from his latest Album A.M.EN. named for his late wife including the mega hit, My Dream.
Bushman and Jah Cure call for action
Due to time constraints, Bushman and Jah Cure were the final acts of the evening . Each only getting time to share the stage and sing a couple songs each. Both raised their concerns about Rebel Salute being overbooked. They implored Tony Rebel and the organizers of Rebel Salute to consider adding another night to Rebel Salute to allow sufficient time for all acts to perform. Kenyatta Hill, son of Joseph “Culture” Hill also made a brief appearance on stage, but did not perform.
It wasn’t too long ago that Rebel Salute was only a one night event. Rebel Salute has continued to grow over the years and is recognized as the largest premiere Reggae Festival in Jamaica. It is a mainstay in showcasing and preserving Jamaican Roots and Culture while staying true to its origins of no alcohol or meat served.
Jamaica has an abundance of talented artistes appealing to a wide range of fans. This year there were approximately 32 artists plus numerous band changes scheduled for each night. This is clearly a daunting task to keep on a tight schedule.
Perhaps as Bushman and Jah Cure suggested at the end of the festival, it is time to re-examine the time and quality aspect of the performances that do seem to be quite rushed especially towards the end of each night. Additional days may need to be allocated to allow sufficient time for all. This will also permit additional artistes to make their dreams come true at Rebel Salute as well.
