Khago enjoys strong debut

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song Competition was once the stomping ground of the most popular Jamaican entertainers, whose performances and recordings transcended the time and space of the contest.

However, the Festival Song days of Toots and the Maytals and The Jamaicans, among others, have long faded and even the contest's recent winners failed to garner a wide, loyal listenership even during the season.

So Khago's Reggae Sumfest debut was striking, not only because the relative newcomer's good delivery, stage movement and transition between songs deservedly struck home with the huge Dancehall Night audience, but also because of his JCDC contest background.

Khago entered the contest twice. He placed third and also won Best Video in 2006 with Only if You Know and improved to second place in 2007 with Been There.

On last Thursday's Dancehall Night, Khago came on after Voicemail's emotional performance. He opened with Cyaan Cool for the first thunderous crowd response of the night. Then, asking those at Sumfest who have a true friend to put up their hands, he declared, "nah sell out me fren dem," again to a rapturous response.

He turned his attention to the women with Fresh and Clean, informing them,"you make me see Zion". The cougars in the audience may have been satisfied when he paid homage to the Big Woman. He closed his Sumfest debut with the tribute to his father, Daddy From You Gone.