Poets settle into theatre run - AIDS cause continued with Emancipation Park concert
Published:Sunday | November 20, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Over the last two years, the No-Maddz have been on the road extensively, taking their show across Jamaica in 2010 and then to Europe, mainly Germany, in 2011.
In January, they plan to settle down for 20 shows at the Theatre Place, New Kingston, doing five shows weekly throughout January. Sheldon Shepherd explained that each week the first two shows will be benefit performances and each show is two hours long, including intermission.
With their strong theatre background, they will be including more drama in the theatre performances than they already do in the all-music shows. "We will be introducing new material and doing one and two sketches," Shepherd said. Some of the new poems are 'Bongo Man', 'Edible Bean Tree' and 'Daniel'.
Shepherd expects that they will also be busy in February, as it is Black History Month and Reggae Month, then "March, we out of Jamaica again".
"Tiad fi see wi face for 2012," Shepherd said.
They also have plans for the rest of 2011, centred around two performances in December. The first is at Emancipation Park, New Kingston, concert for World AIDS Day (marked on December 1 annually) and the other is their December 26 concert. For the latter, Shepherd said unlike last year's staging there will be only one guest, the C-Sharp Band, and No-Maddz will open the concert.
Last December The Gleaner reported that Shepherd had become the patron of Eve for Life, which supports young women living with HIV/AIDS. Then, Shepherd said, he went into the room "all me a look around, a some beautiful girls, nothing no wrong with them. The majority is the less fortunate, who man tell some foolishness, then give them the virus. What to do now? Cast them aside?".
He said that the support continues, in tangible financial ways. Plus, he said, "for the (Christmas) season, people who contact us from Corporate Jamaica don't pay us," Shepherd said, the intention being that the support be redirected into the charity efforts.
- Mel Cooke