No Easy Feat For Show Closers - Sumfest Promoters May Seek Octane A Third Straight Year

Davina Henry and Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writers

Dancehall Night consistently attracts the 22-year-old Reggae Sumfest's largest crowds in any given year. Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel and Capleton are some of the artistes who have been given the honour of being the closing act. However, only two artistes have closed the event in consecutive years, I-Octane and Beenie Man.

Now, I-Octane could go one better, and make it three in a row.

The first time around in 2013, I-Octane was eager to prove himself as a show-closer on Dancehall Night. This year, having been again entrusted with closing duties at the Catherine Hall venue in Montego Bay, there was a minor tiff with Mr Vegas.

Now I-Octane can make his plans to 'lock' Reggae Sumfest 2015's Dancehall Night a year in advance, as the organisers have already tipped him as their choice.

"We have to recognise that the artiste has the ability as an artiste and as a showman to take on that challenge (of closing the show)," said Johnny Gourzong, executive director of Summerfest Productions, which organises Reggae Sumfest.

"I-Octane has this ability. And he demonstrated from last year that he had the ability to deliver. I looked around this year again and we never saw anybody (else), and we are happy we went with him ... . There is no reason why we will not be going back for him next year. He is young, he connects with the audience immediately as he steps on the stage, and I think he really has a great career ahead of him," Gourzong said.

And I-Octane seems ready to accept this honour saying, "It's an overwhelming feeling to be part of history. Being the second artiste to close the event two years in a row is a good feeling and the fact that the promoter is already considering me to close next year is humbling," he said.

Octane's career is one in which extensive planning is being invested. After doing the closing double, I-Octane told The Sunday Gleaner, "I am extremely honoured. This has been a journey for me and my team. We faced many challenges. It was rough, but we persevered. My team and I have a three-year goal; we invested a lot in the music business and I am happy to see the rewards for our labour," he said.

Gourzong identified a number of qualities which are necessary for a final act. Tied in to currency and being able to "keep the crowd", Gourzong said it has to be someone "who has the ability as a dynamic showman, who can give a very entertaining and exciting presentation."

He emphasised being current. "The person must have currency. They must have songs out there that people are familiar with, that are current on the chart," he said.

I-Octane's management team knows that putting the lid on Dancehall Night is not a simple matter.

Challenge

"Traditionally, Dancehall Night attracts the largest crowd at Reggae Sumfest, regardless of who is billed to perform on International Nights 1 & 2. Therefore, the challenge of closing Dancehall Night is an awesome one for any artiste. We know that this is always an all night 'til daylight event, and the closing act on this night, puts his career on the line when he accepts the challenge of keeping a weary crowd waiting for his performance, and then staying until he has finished his set," said I-Octane's manager, Ray Alexander.

"For some reason, journalists seem to love to write that 'the crowd walked out on so and so and left him performing to an almost empty venue'. No artiste wants to lose credibility and stripes in this fashion, and that's one of the reasons why these big international acts do not close shows. They come on stage when the crowd is energised and all pumped out, waiting on the right act to release all that energy," Alexander said.

He added that it takes a special act to work a crowd that has been standing in the venue for eight hours into frenzy and let them forget about feeling tired and sleepy.

Gourzong is also well aware of the very fluid nature of performance time on Dancehall Night, which often adds to the closing act's requirements.

"We can't always guarantee exactly what time the artiste is going to come on stage, because we know that on a Dancehall Night when we are presenting perhaps over 20 artistes, we run the risk that the show could be running 30-35 minutes late. Therefore, it is important to have on board, the type of artiste who the patrons are going to remain to see and who has the ability as a dynamic showman, to give a very entertaining and exciting presentation," he said.

Unlike artistes in the generation that succeeded the stars of the 1990s, I-Octane avoided controversy and conflict. Also, he was not aligned to any musical camp, which would possibly have reduced his fan base.

With I-Octane having reached for a closing slot and handled it well, Gourzong has a word of advice for those who may be in the group from which the next Dancehall Night closer will come. "I would say to young artistes coming up, not to be afraid of taking up the challenge, because some of them are afraid and don't want to be taking the stage at 5 a.m.," he said.

Gourzong credited the only other Dancehall Night closer for consecutive years, Beenie Man. "Beenie has moved on to International Night and the people stayed to see him. Octane has taken over the mantle," Gourzong said.

And I-Octane had a word for some of those who may have seen him close Dancehall Night in 2013 and 2014, and could just see him doing the same on the 23rd staging of the event in 2015. "Sumfest is the biggest reggae festival in Jamaica, so mi haffi big up the fans who have been on team I-Octane over the years. Dem grow wid me and dem support me," he said.

I-OCTANE TO RELEASE SOPHOMORE ALBUM

Davina Henry, Staff Reporter

KINGSTON JAMAICA - Reggae artiste I-Octane has been having a successful 2013. The artiste appeared on numerous local shows, toured several countries and was even invited to close Reggae Sumfest's dancehall night.

With 2014 fast approaching, I-Octane told The Sunday Gleaner his main focus right now is the release of his sophomore album.

Still untitled, the album will be strictly reggae one-drop, and I-Octane has already enlisted the help of several top international reggae artistes to help make the album a success.

"We're currently in the process of searching for a title but, trust me, this album is going to be the best of I-Octane. Mi voice whole heap a songs already, and I'm really excited to be putting out a straight reggae one-drop album that all my fans and all music lovers, generally, will be able to enjoy," he said.

The album is slated for a January 2014 release and, already, there are plans to host launches in several countries, along with a tour.

"I'm gonna do a tour around the album, so that every country I visit after its release, there will be a launch party there. I will be releasing it worldwide, so that's definitely something that the fans can look out for and look forward to."

With his debut album being released last year, I-Octane says this time around he will have greater input on the production side of things.

"For quite a few years, I was only releasing singles, so last year I did an album called Cry to the Nation, and while the album did well, and I must big up and commend Robert Livingstone for that, I never really got to capitalise on it. It was a great album, but I never had full control over it. For this album, I will have more input in production. I have to big up Frass and Tads records," he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Capitalising on his successful year and his many supporters, I-Octane has already released the album's lead single, titled Love You Like I Do. An accompanying video was also recently released.

The 12-track album will feature artistes Gentleman and Ky-Mani Marley. In the meantime, I-Octane is gearing up for performances in the United States, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean.

I-OCTANE - "LOVE YOU LIKE I DO [OFFICIAL VIDEO]"

'DUDUS' PLEADS GUILTY

Jamaican drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke today pleaded guilty to charges of drug and gun running, and one count of assault.

While appearing in a lower Manhattan court, Coke pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in narcotics and firearm trafficking under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization

He also pleaded guilty to one count of assault.

Meanwhile, a nephew of Christopher Coke, residing in Tivoli Gardens seemed surprised and devastated that Coke pleaded guilty.

The nephew, who asked not to be named, said he spoke to his uncle recently and did not receive any indication that Coke had plans to plead the way he did.

Coke faces a maximum of 23 years and The Gleaner understands that prosecutors will seek the full term. He will be sentenced on December 8 at 4 p.m.

One month after security forces and the fugitive's supporters engaged in a bloody battle in his community, Coke – who was the community leader in Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston – was arrested in June 2010.

At least 73 persons were killed in the fighting, which involved gunmen from across the island, who had gathered to aid Coke.

Coke, who was extradited two days after he was captured, is being held in the US, where he faces charges of drug and gun running.

Legal proceedings in his trial had begun. However, his defence took a major hit when a US Federal Court Judge ruled against suppressing wiretap evidence.

"This decision means that Coke's chances of being freed in connection with this indictment are now statistically very low," US-based Jamaican law Professor David Rowe told The Gleaner shortly after the judge's ruling.

"He will have to be acquitted at trial. In the face of overwhelming scientific and testimonial evidence, that is very unlikely," Rowe had added.

Source: go-jamaica.com

ARTISTES MAKE BRILLIANCE COMMONPLACE

• Pepsi Rebel Salute, a musical blast, led by Beres Hammond, Mavado and I-Octane

By Adrian Frater, News Editor

Reggae's premier crooner Beres Hammond showed off his undeniable class, charisma and versatility in emphatic style at Port Kaiser, St Elizabeth, on Saturday night when he left the audience at Pepsi Rebel Salute 18 in ecstasy with a dazzling performance laced with friendly interactions with the fans.

However, had Beres not been in such fine fettle, the honours for the night could well have gone to either the silky smooth Mavado, who performed out of character as David Brooks; and the red-hot I-Octane, who continues to advertise himself as a major international star in the making.

Beres came, saw and conquered, especially his adorning female fans, who showed absolutely no inhibitions as they screamed and danced while he masterfully belted out songs such as No Disrespect, One Dance, Come Back Home, Tempted To Touch, Double Trouble and Putting Up Resistance as he dug generously into his catalogue of hits.

When Beres departed the stage after several bouts of friendly banter between himself and the audience, along with the crisp delivery of the hits songs Feel Good, Let Them Talk and Rockaway, it wasn't to be his last.

BERES ENCORE

The audience demanded more and got the completion of Rockaway and snippets of other songs as an encore.

Mavado was a revelation and must have made scores of new fans with his mature set, which was devoid of his trademark gangster songs.

In fact, the singjay, who was regally clad in a military-style outfit, was more like a seasoned cultural artiste than the gun-lyrics-spewing Gully Gad.

All and sundry reacted with glee as Mavado skilfully wove his way through the lyrics of songs such as On the Rock, Hope and Pray, So Special and Jah Jah is Coming Soon against a backdrop of loud screams of approval from even the very strict turban-clad Boboshanti Rastafarians.

The screams for an encore from Mavado were almost a given.

Although he played almost another full set, to include songs such as Starlight, Again and Again and Messiah as his encore, the fans demanded a second - which, of course, was not possible.

I-Octane, who shared the vast majority of his set with singjay Zamunda, was most compelling and left no doubt that his stocks are rising.

In a most pleasing musical onslaught, the young singer reeled off many hits, leaving some fans all but delirious with excitement.

That state of almost-delirium was caused by songs like My Life, Fake Friends, Mama You Alone, Puff It and Lose a Friend.

Zamunda showed what he was worth, joining in on some of those songs.

Dominant acts

While Beres, Mavado and I-Octane were the dominant acts, they were not the only ones to shine on a night when brilliance was commonplace.

In the early segment, which featured mostly veteran artistes, singers Hopeton James, AJ Brown, the lyrically potent Romain Virgo and the legendary Ken Boothe, along with deejays Lone Ranger, Dennis Alcapone, dancehall standouts Little John, Tristan Palmer and Jack Raddicks all delivered quality sets.

While they both played limited sets, the Flames duo of songbird Queen Ifrika and promoter Tony Rebel also contributed to the rich diet of pulsating music.

Queen Ifrika's performance began with a breathtaking introduction by Broadcasting Commission boss, Cordell Green.

Tarrus Riley and the legendary Toots and the Maytals, provided contrasting performances, which served up exceptional entertainment.

Riley was energetic as he rolled through his catalogue with quality support from two female dancers clad in African garb and saxopho-nist extraordinaire Dean Frazer.

Toots was laid back but meticulous, combining potent vocals with solid instrumental work.

The latter part of the show, which featured Junior X, Spanner Bonner, Fantan Mojah and Chuck Fendah was somewhat lacking in intensity.

Chuck Fendah, for instance, must have regretted performing alongside Fantan Mojah, who somewhat stifled him by hogging the show and trying to grab all the time for himself.

Special mention must be made of United States-based female deejay Sister Carol, singer Nadine Sutherland, comical deejay Professor Nuts and the dazzling Stevie Face, who all created significant impact while playing limited sets.

Source: jamaica-gleaner.com

I-Octane rocks Digicel 'Loaded Christmas' launch

Hasani Walters, Gleaner Writer

A large throng of persons crowded the St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston on Friday as Digicel celebrated the kick-off of its Loaded Christmas promotion.
Scores of children and adults all made the stop at the park while on the way from school and work.
Digicel certainly did not disappoint them, as they had a superb line-up of artistes ready to hit the stage.
Hosts Ity and Fancy Cat, while introducing several well received artistes to the stage, also injected their own brand of entertainment, keeping the crowd laughing with their comedic acts.
Artistes such as Tifa, Jermain Edwards, Camaley, Popcaan, Shaun Storm, Queen Ifrica and I-Octane all took to the stage and delivered good performances, keeping the crowd singing along to their 'big tunes'.
The men from Gaza, Popcaan and Shaun Storm had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they sang hit songs such as Dream, My Life, Gangster City, Up Inna Di Club and Vybz Party.
Queen Ifrica also had her way with the crowd with songs like No Banana and Lioness On The Rise.
However, the highlight of the evening came in the form of I-Octane, who had patrons in a frenzy with songs such as My Life, Mine Who You A Diss, and his popular Puff It which was pulled up over four times at the crowd's request.
He gave instructions that the stage lights be turned off and told patrons, "Turn on unu phone light." Up went the phones accompanied by the glow of lighters in the night sky.
He closed a good evening of performances joined by a Digicel choir on stage singing his new single, Mi Love Yuh, as red and green confetti was released into the crowd.
Source - jamaica-gleaner.com

How the security forces conquered Dudus' fortress

A former member of the security forces trained as an explosive expert is the suspected mastermind behind the elaborate defence system established around Tivoli Gardens last week.
He was supported by other persons who had been kicked out of the police force or the Jamaica Defence Force for varying reasons.
The explosives expert could be slapped with several charges after soldiers, who entered Tivoli Gardens on Monday, faced elaborate booby traps and explosive devices never before seen in Jamaica
In the week leading up to the retake of Tivoli Gardens by the security forces, the thugs - it is believed, under the guidance of the former member of the security forces - managed to build and test explosive devices from scratch, using available local material.
According to Sunday Gleaner sources, the devices were similar to those which have been seen on the ground in Afghanistan.
They included bits of steel used as part of a lethal bombing system, LPG cylinders laced with explosives carefully set up as booby traps, Molotov cocktails used as firebombs, and sharpened scrap metals set to mangle the unsuspecting.
Many of these were wired electrically so that they could be triggered with the slightest touch.
Hundreds of gallons of petrol had also been purchased to fuel the resistance.

army of thugs


In addition to the security system, Tivoli Gardens was defended by a small army of thugs. More than 400 of them were reportedly enlisted to the cause.
Travelling from as far away as Montego Bay, St James, Clarendon, St Catherine and St Thomas, they headed to west Kingston.
They were joined by others from neighbouring enclaves who came out to support the man who had risen to the most prominent position in Jamaica's seedy underworld - Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
He had pulled together an army of hardened criminals, some of whom he had to pay thousands of dollars, to take on the armed forces.
The mission was to prevent the execution of an arrest warrant that would begin the process of his extradition to the United States to face drugs and gun charges. Ultimately, Coke wanted to pull
more inner-city communities under the rule of his 'Presidential Click' empire and strengthen his reach across Jamaica.
Among the recruits that were brought to west Kingston were known murderers, petty thieves, gangsters, and persons skilled in military tactics.
The recruits also included persons with computer skills who could download critical information on explosive gadgets and guerilla warfare, as well as individuals with electrical engineering skills who could rig up and operate major explosive apparatus.
Many of the foot soldiers had spent time in prison and were fearless in the face of the law.
As Monday, May 24, drew closer, and it became clearer that an invasion was at hand, the barricades to the community became more extensive.
Old cars, scrap metal, crates, sandbags, barrels and discarded household items were brought in to thicken the blockades, despite appeals from the police for them to be removed.
Sandbags camouflaged concrete slabs with peepholes and the high-rise buildings were prepared as lookout points and fixed with truck tyres to be lit to create smoke screens against helicopter assaults.
Coke, it was believed, had embedded himself in the community, surrounded by his thugs, confident of his safety.
On the outskirts of the community, the Tivoli forces ordered first strike on 14 police stations, two of which were burnt to the ground.
The cops were kept at bay, physically and psychologically, as the thugs seemingly declared 'the Republic of Tivoli' theirs.
For four decades, Tivoli had grown as an adjunct to Jamaica, existing under a different rule of law, defying efforts to bring it in line with the rest of the society.
In the past, efforts to bring Tivoli under control did not get past the periphery.
The move against the lawmen and their facilities was a new dimension in the struggle between Jamaica and the Corporate Area's western belt.
Tempers boiled and steamed as the soldiers moved in.
Faced with insurmountable fire power and a well-thought-out strategy from the security forces, Coke and his inner circle abandoned the men he had recruited, and the women and children who had demonstrated for him. They were to face the onslaught without the leader.
When Tivoli fell, Coke and his inner circle were on the run, over 700 hundred men were detained, 400 of whom had no addresses in Tivoli Gardens.
More than 50 of these men were wanted by the police for various crimes, and a large number of them were listed as persons of interest and under police watch.
So far, some 8,800 rounds of ammunition and 28 guns have been seized by the security forces and 73 civilians confirmed dead.
Among the dead were at least two women, and a few of the bodies were men wearing dresses.
Source: www.jamaica-gleaner.com