Freedom cry at Wee Pow’s birthday bash
Published:Monday | March 21, 2022 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
The dancehall freedom convoy rolled into Stone Love’s Burlington Avenue HQ on Saturday evening, carrying on board the multitude who rejoiced like sinners set free from the shackles of sin.
“Freedom!” was the jubilant shout from the Stone Love selectors who were present for the twin celebration of the birthday of the sound system’s founder and CEO, Winston ‘Wee Pow’ Powell, and the reopening of the entertainment sector. “We free like a bird! No more curfew; remember the country gone back to normal.”
ENJOYING OUTSIDE
And normal was indeed the name of the game. At 9 p.m., persons had feasted on the birthday offerings and were enjoying ‘outside’. By 9:30, the man of the moment had appeared, looking dancehall dapper, and the selector drew the signature uptempo birthday song and reminded those present that “A Wee Pow birthday, this a nuh Weddy Weddy. It’s a party. Tonight, it’s all about Wee Pow.”
Several persons lined up to take the mic to express their love and respect for ‘Fada Pow’, who basked in the moment. Uptown Mondays promoter Whitlfield ‘Whitty’ Henry joined producer Niney the Observer on stage to present Wee Pow with a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne. Jackie Finlay, aka ‘Upper St Andrew’, a diehard Stone Love fan, told The Gleaner that she and her friends were happy for Wee Pow. “A long time all a we a follow Stone Love. Wee Pow deserve fi have him party sell off this year and mek a lickle money. Last year him did keep a little thing early in the day with just a few people, and by 5 o’clock, [the] police come [to] lock it off. But this year, we legal.” Finlay said.
Among her crew were Pretty Pebbles, Princess Lee, Lorraine Jackson and Georgia Jackson, a promoter from Arnett Gardens. Also numbered among the ‘massives’ who came out to honour Wee Pow were Arthur Wale, Beenie Man, Dancehall Queen Carlene, Lisa Hanna, Bridget Anderson, Tracy Mowet, Damian Crawford, General B, Ricky General, Junior Reid, Richie Stephens, Brite Light, Sluggo from Travellers, Mikey Soul, Bounty Killer, Sky Juice, Christopher ‘Toulousie’ Edwards, Ian Kelly, Shugo Banton, Sound Wave Crew, Emynenx.
Many persons expressed their delight at the reopening of the industry, which had been locked down for two years and only received the greenlight from the prime minister last Friday.
“I am very happy for the participants of the industry, who, I thought, were unreasonably treated. Hotels were open and other forms of entertainment activity, but the events industry was not open. So, therefore, we felt that that was an unreasonable situation,” Damian Crawford told The Gleaner.
For Wee Pow, it was a dream come true.
“It is a joy to be here celebrating not just my birthday, but the fact that people are free to party again. That is the greatest. I am a very happy man tonight. I am here celebrating another milestone with all my friends, and I have to give thanks,” Wee Pow said.