21 years of doing it with a twist

Renaissance anniversary to showcase what makes the sound different

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

It's been 21 years since sound system Renaissance came into being; 21 years since the girls at Immaculate High School named a fledgling sound system that over the next two decades would blaze an unforgettable trail along the Jamaican musical landscape.

Renaissance celebrates those amazing years tonight with its 21st Anniversary Party: Blackjack edition at the Palisadoes International Go-Kart Track.

The gates open at 10 p.m.

Like the others before it, this party aims to be different and the aim to be different is what has served Renaissance's owner Delano Thomas well over the last two decades.

"When the sound started, I wanted it to be different. Playing out uptown you couldn't play too much dancehall, so I had to find a way to mix dancehall with the house music and hip hop," Thomas said. "Similarly, playing downtown we had to carry hip hop to the dancehall."

He would be the first to attempt such an audacious move, a move that came to define the sound system as much as the owner came to be known for his signature eyepatch.

Creative ways

Back then, building a sound system was challenging in many respects. Delano reveals that his main aim at the time was to become independent and that meant acquiring the equipment and all the necessary tools that would allow the sound system to stand on its own.

However, without money, creative ways had to be found to make the means to that end. "We could not afford dub-plates so, as a result, we reinvented remixes," he said. That was how Renaissance would go on to to build its reputation with remixes. Chief among them was the Nitro Mix with Bounty Killer that made it on to the Billboard charts as did the remix of Dancehall Queen that featured Beenie Man and Chavelle Franklin that also made it on to the world-famous charts ahead of the original song.

The successful remixes created even more lucrative opportunities for Thomas and his sound system as they made appearances on Soul Train, BET, MTV, at the world-famous Apollo and the Dick Clark show. They were also on tour with Bounty Killer and several other big names on the dancehall scene but it would only get better, Thomas said. "Producing Sean Paul's We Be Burning took us to the next level," he said.

Partnership

According to Thomas, who got into the sound-system business almost from birth as his father, Delano Sr, owned a sound system, Plus X. He also built them and would build a sound system for the brewing company then known as D&G.

For years now, Renaissance and Red Stripe have been involved in a partnership through which the sound system helps to promote the company's product through popular culture.

Last year, both parties agreed to an extension of that partnership and it has worked well for Renaissance, especially when it comes to the parties.

"Red Stripe has helped over the years. They allow us to be creative and create something that when you walk into the venue, you have that wow factor," he said. "It's not just a speaker box in a corner and a bar in a corner and you have a party."

That has been one of the challenges of hosting the party each year. They have to find new ways to keep it interesting as the party has grown in size and appeal over the years. One of the most memorable, he recalls, was the 16th anniversary, held in Temple Hall.

He said it was memorable because it rained but people still turned out. It was also memorable because of the artistes who 'passed through',  the effects, the decor, the fireworks and the dancers; everything came together to make it more memorable, just like they intend for tonight. 

The Blackjack theme, Delano says, works on two levels - the fact that it is the 21st anniversary and that they are encouraging patrons to wear black.

And, of course, expect something special. "When you pay to come into the party, you are surprised by what the set-up is, the music is, the bar is, the décor," he said. "Like how we say the Blackjack edition, we want people to come out in black but we're still going to give you a little of this, a little of that. It's how we present the package to the people."