Foundation acts set stage for strong Rebel Salute

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

The 'foundation' segment in the early going of Rebel Salute 2011 at the Port Kaiser Sports Club, St Elizabeth, on Saturday night set the stage for a good event before a large audience.

The nostalgia sat well with the crowd, which went down memory lane with Lone Ranger and his Love Bump. Carl Dawkins is as much a showman as he is a singer and, sometimes wraith-like in the stage smoke, he did Baby I Love You and Part Time Love. But it was Satisfaction, for which Dawkins took off his jacket to dance around the microphone with his white, long-sleeved shirt showing, that really hit the spot.

Physically, Dawkins and Little John are contrasts - the former slim and the latter on the heavier side. They are also very different in their delivery, Little John going at it gung-ho style after Dawkins' more classic approach. He did his songs in snippets, starting out with Work Us So Hard. He was off to a good start and never broke stride.

True Confessions hit the spot and Little John observed "me love you people, oonu full a spirit".

Say What You're Saying was run into Delroy Wilson's Better Must Come and Little John sang about the dutty wine and the girls popping their necks. Little John closed with All Over Me, making way for deejay Dennis Al Capone, who got a much calmer response with his steady style. He was joined by Tinga Stewart on Solomon, Al Capone doing his lyrical wiggles.

Star reception

Ken Boothe was given a star's reception and he started off without music, crooning about a changing world, before hitting the tried and proven favourites Freedom Street, Silver Words, Artibella and Everything I Own.

Tristan Palmer paid homage to Sugar Minott with DC, following on his own Joker Smoker, but the real sparks came with the classic Entertainment at the end of his set.

Jack Radics introduced his son after his take on Unchained and AJ Brown made it clear that he could have taken his performance on another tack with You Raised Me Up but chose to go the roots reggae way with Love People and Father Friend.

Coming out of vintage into '90s dancehall, Nadine Sutherland hit the spot with Babyface, paying homage to the Cool Ruler with Soon Forward. "I can't stay long with you. I have to go off and support Buju on his show," Sutherland said, Anything For You getting the pull-up treatment and Sutherland deejaying like The Gargamel to very good effect.

She closed with Action and was off, Rebel Salute then switching gears with Tony Rebel.

Live Wyya and Ruff Cut bands provided support for the artistes, who did not perform with their own bands, Amber, Renae and Ron Muschette hosting Rebel Salute 2011.