Raging Fyah launches 'Judgement Day'

• Wickie Wackie Live celebrates first anniversary

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

It is indicative of the band's attitude, as well as the journey they have made to this point, that Raging Fyah's members spent a significant amount of time expressing their gratitude at Wickie Wackie, Bull Bay, St Andrew, on Sunday night.

The thanks were scripted as well, bass player and band leader Delroy Hamilton, keyboard player and musical director Demar Gayle, drummer Anthony Watson, and lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kumar Bent taking turns at reading a comprehensive list of persons who have contributed to their progress. The other members of Raging Fyah are engineer Mahlon Moving and lead guitarist Courtland White, a horn section and percussionist filling out the sound on Sunday night.

Raging Fyah's thanks came after they closed a strong round of roots reggae music with Judgement Day, the 11-track album's title track and an obvious favourite for the substantial audience which turned out for the launch.

Longing for more

Bent, eyes closed in concentration for most of the time he sang throughout the concert, lifted his hands as he said goodbye, the left wrist and palm wrapped with red cloth. However, the audience, the ladies wanted more, but will have to wait for another day.

There was a definite separation between the talking and the music, as not only did Raging Fyah save their extensive thank yous for after Judgement Day, but they started after endorsements of their talent and direction by producer Mikey Bennett, musician and teacher Ibo Cooper, and Robert Bryan of Grizzly's. They started with the invitation to "step outa Babylon" and Gayle quickly showed himself to be the 'vibes' man of the outfit, encouraging a coordinated handclap on Irie Vibe.

There were times when Bent stepped back from the microphone to stand in a line with Hamilton and White, making it three guitarists in a row. And on occasion he stepped back to tilt the microphone stand at an angle.

Uptempo

Raging Fyah went uptempo to inform, "if you run from yourself you gonna lose", and they slowed down to do Cyaan Cool, the audience in sync with them at all times.

As performers, Raging Fyah was not alone on its launch day. Duane Stephenson, who has two albums (From August Town and Black Gold) to his credit, was in fine vocal fettle, Cottage in Negril and August Town among the songs he presented.

At the end of his stage stint, Stephenson referred to the economic crisis that the world has been going through in recent years and observed that people still find time to "cut off people head". He closed with Sufferer's Heights, which looks at the class divide through what is classified as suffering 'uptown' and in the inner city.

Curfew Band wrapped up the performances with a very brief stint, the combination of Dennis Brown's Should I and Beres Hammond's Step Aside Now having the expected positive response.