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  • Digicel Reggae on the Hill


    By Leigh-Ann Worrell

    The heat from the sun's rays were no match for that coming from the stage at the sixth edition of  Digicel Reggae on the Hill, held in Barbados on April 25.

    By all accounts, the crowd of just about 15 000 people that packed the Farley Hill National Park fully enjoyed the all-day show.

    Local acts like Prosperity, Twin Man and Oracle got the  event off to a great start with a steady stream of their own reggae offerings.

    Another local artiste,  Easy B was another crowd pleaser, and set the stage for other well-known homegrown reggae artistes like Brimstone, Albert Olton, LRG, Daniel and Hotta Flames.
    Skilfully rounding off the local talent was Buggy Nakhente, whose set was just  as popular and anticipated as any Jamaican performer on the Hill’s lineup.

    He inspired the crowd powerful renderings of The Way it Is and I See Dem among others.
    He was closely followed by Lisa Howell who brought  it home for the Barbadian reggae artistes with  a selection of covers and originals from her latest project.

    Guyanese starlet Timeka Marshall was the first foreign act for the day.

    Backed by Barbadian band Masala with lead singer Philip 7, she appeared after 1 p.m., and by this time the hill was filled with reggae lovers, many of them armed with picnic baskets and coolers.

    Marshall also sang originals like Feel Fah and a cover of Jah Cure’s Call on Me with Philip 7, which the audience seemed to like.

    Winner of the 2007 Digicel Rising Stars Romain Virgo pleased the ladies with songs Can’t Sleep and Love Doctor as well as ghetto anthem Who Feels it Knows It.

    Etana blessed with the stage with positive vibes including I am Not Afraid and Warrior Love.
    As the sun dipped in the horizon, a heated day got even hotter. 

    The veteran artiste  Maxi Priest belted out hits like Just A Little Bit Longer and Close to You to name a few.

    “Jah’s messenger” Luciano kept the vibes going with Messenger, Give Praise and Jah Live from 2008’s Jah is My Navigator.

    He was followed by emerging artiste Hezron, whom the crowd seemed quite impatient with.
    Richie Spice was also a hit with the crowd.

    Although a very calm performer, he lived up to his name on Sunday evening with skilful renditions of More Life, Earth a Run Red, Grooving my Girl and together with soca queen Alison Hinds, King and Queen.

    Then it got oh so busy!

    Reanno Busy Signal Gordon gave the crowd a repertoire of energetic dancehall songs like Step Out and Mek She Stamma as well as slower reggae songs One More Night and Night Shift, which the crowd practically sang verbatim.

    ‘Mr. Singy Singy’ Tarrus Riley brought the house down as lovers rocked steady to songs like Love’s Contagious, Superman, Human Nature and Stay With You.

    He also reminded men to treasure what they have with Getty Getty and Start Anew.
    Konshens guest appeared for an unforgettable rendition of Good Girl Gone Bad.

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