Grammy-winning Dancehall superstar, Shaggy can feel pleased regarding his efforts following a mostly successful Shaggy and Friends concert this past weekend.
The charity event, tailored to raise money for a new cardiac unit at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, made its first appearance on the lawns of Jamaica House since January 2, 2010. Commencing shortly after 8 p.m., the show’s creator,Shaggy, engaged the patrons in attendance prior to bringing out Reggae star, Tarrus Riley to perform their collaborative single, Another Girl. Riley also performed his classic hit, She’s Royal and returned alongside Shaggy during several intervals of the show.
Much of the anticipation regarding the event surrounded the appearances of international artistes such as hip-hop superstar, Eve, R&B singer, Deniece Williams, British-based Reggae superstar, Maxi Priest and former Fugees starlet, Lauryn Hill, amongst others.
Eve successfully engaged the younger members of the audience; performing several of her hits such as Who’s That Girl and Blow Your Mind while popular Jamaican dancer, Mystic Davis graced the stage with her scintillating gyrations.
Williams gave older fans more to cheer about as the singer, who rose to prominence in the 1980s, performed a strong set with songs such as Hear It For The Boys and It's Gonna Take A Miracle. Meanwhile, Maxi Priest asserted his presence on the event by performing classics such as Wide World and A Little Closer as well as showcasing the single, That Girl, alongside Shaggy.
However, mixed reactions followed show headliner and closing act, Lauryn Hill even prior to her performance. The scheduled band change took nearly an hour to complete; prompting fans to chant her name in an effort to gauge the Grammy-winning singer/rapper on stage. Shortly after 2 a.m., Hill finally appeared on stage to sparse moments of applause as she complained about the set-up while continually restarting during the earlier parts of her performance.
Several fans exited the venue during her performance which otherwise was stellar as she belted out classics such as Everything Is Everything, Ex Factor, Killing Me Softly Doo Wop and Turn Your Lights Down Low.
Meanwhile, local acts made their presences felt at Shaggy and Friends as Reggae starlet, Roman Virgo and Dancehall/Reggae diva, Tami Chynn gave strong accounts of themselves on stage while Chynn’s husband, Wayne Marshall performed his hit single Messin’ With My Heart. Marshall also performed the internationally-acclaimed song, Swaggin’ alongside fellow deejays, Tifa and Future Fambo.
Reggae veteran, Beres Hammond also electrified the Jamaica House stage by performing timeless tracks such as Rockaway, Double Trouble and I Feel Good, all of which patrons sang along to.
However, Shaggy ensured that he lived up to his duties as show host by performing the hit song, Sugarcane from his Grammy-nominated album, Summer in Kingston while collaborating with Reggae songstress, Tessanne Chin on a soca-influenced song. Other local artistes who highlighted the Shaggy and Friends bill included Cocoa Tea, Half Pint as well as the Marley brothers, Stephen and Damian, who performed several hits such as The Mission and Jah Army amongst others to a rousing ovation.
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