Hoarse start, powerful finish

Tanya Stephens turns in heartfelt two hours at Studio 38

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Tanya Stephens did not start performing at Studio 38 until a few minutes into Saturday morning, smiling as she predicted forgiveness from the large audience (for the smaller venue) when she gave the reason for her tardiness.

"I had to show respect for you guys," Stephens said, explaining that she had to take a shower.

The cause of the pressing need for the shower may have been the same for the hoarseness which affected Stephens significantly in the early going, which she attributed to having been on a media house's cross-country tour on Friday. And while she eventually worked out the vocal stiffness, closing the marathon hitting the high notes much better than she did in the earlier going, Stephens had to work at getting the stiffness out of the audience. A significant portion of that audience gathered close at the sides of the stage where Stephens stood on black heels and reflected a part of it in her oversized shades.

"Gimme a riddim. I gwine sing some songs and see if I can get you over the hump," Stephens said before starting off with one of her earliest popular songs, Yuh No Ready Fi Dis Yet, working with tracks sound-system style.

But the audience was not ready to release itself, whoop and holler just yet, Stephens working on her vocal chords with supplies from Wray and Nephew, joking that the company's Andrew Pryce was her coaster as he stood by to hold her drink in between numerous sips.

She teased the selector with the instruction "low" when she wanted the music turned down. Expressing her delight in getting to "say that to a Jamaican man", Stephens said, "The only time I can say it without being bashed is when I am in front of a mic and I say "take it down low low'".

The ladies loved it.

Stephens expressed her support for Pulse's Kingsley Cooper's concert-staging effort and demanded that the audience support it also. "Oonu have to buy the drinks. The only spirit I am going to recommend tonight is go to the bar and get some spirits," Stephens said. As for herself, she declared: "Is J. Wray, Nephew and Niece. Think me nice?!"

Yet, although the ladies cheered on Good Ride, Can't Sleep, and Damn You, it took a couple of songs for the musical tide to really surge.

A standout point in that build-up was on To The Rescue, when the women merrily completed "de man dem willing fe spen' any amount a cash fe get a quieter mout' an a tighta ...".

And even before that, Stephens made it clear that in addition to the songs, she would not have a quieter mouth that night, the sometimes extensive between-song engagement as effective as the songs at points.

"Oonu going to hear a whole heap a talking tonight. This is going to be so therapeutic," Stephens promised.

She made good on the pledge, commenting on relationships - including women's faults and sharing men - where appropriate, the mood changing with To The Limit.

"I honestly believe we can spread peace," she said before doing What a Day, the first mass singalong of many for the long night. And she pointed out that "you can't fight for peace. Peace is the absence of war".

And before Do You Still Care?, which addresses racism and anti-homosexuality, Stephens said: "Discrimination is one tree."

As such, she said it was ridiculous to expect to cut off the branch of racism and racism would die with it.

"You can't kill a tree by cutting off a branch. A St Mary me come from. Me know bout bush," Stephens said.

Live experience

It was one of the few songs that she did in full. (Stephens had earlier advised that those who expected to hear the songs in full should refer to the CD, as this was a live experience). And when she sang Happy Birthday to a lady who was celebrating her 50th, ending high on 'you', Stephens remarked that she could take the note, but hitting the highs in the song were difficult.

Still, her vocals improved noticeably coming up to the end of what seemed to have been planned for the night. On It's a Pity, Stephens honoured the Cool Ruler - whose last Jamaican performance was at Studio 38 - with a take on Night Nurse, singing "I still want to be your night nurse/For is you alone can quench dis ya thirst".

It was 1:30 a.m., but when Stephens asked "can I say goodnight now?", there was a resounding negative. There were more songs, including Heart of Stone, the recent zouk-based Shame on You, and the advice to Siddung Pon It in dealing with the recession, Stephens cutting that song short as she said it seemed not many at Studio 38 were into that method.

But there was more talk, too, Stephens giving the ladies advice on the practicality of sharing, as well as the insanity of taking abuse to maintain appearances.

And at the very end, Stephens took requests and delivered a capella, Way Back, Spilt Milk, and Who is Tanya? demanded by the audience.

"Whe you say, I can go now?" Stephens eventually asked, and the audience consented.

"I've earned my freedom. Free at last!" she said.