‘More fire’ as Capleton, Jahvillani celebrate life
Published:Friday | August 12, 2022 | 6:03 PMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Running for five consecutive weeks and bringing several of Jamaica’s top performers to a stage in the corporate area to perform, Thursday Night Live Acoustic Inna Di City hosted a double celebration for its fifth staging and the August 11 birthday of one of its founders, Latoya McKay.
The publicist and event planner was satisfied with the turnout, and expressed that having persons support the fortnightly event was the only gift she wished for.
“I feel great knowing that we have been having ground-breaking, foundation artistes and up-and-coming, young new era talents share the Thursday Night Live stage in an authentic acoustic style. Our team prides itself on producing an event where we unify both eras and genres in reggae and dancehall as our aim is to have a balance in the industry,” McKay told The Gleaner.
It was a milestone celebration that called for ‘more fire’ she said, and that could not have been possible without the King of Fire himself, Capleton.
“It is a blessing to have Capleton grace the stage as he remains dedicated to the genre, the reggae-dancehall community and his craft. He, like many others have set a high standard for those to come. More great performances along with us highlighting different positive elements to our culture, and who to tell, a fusion of some international acts, may be down the road. We want to improve to cater to the patrons needs this is a family and cultural event,” said McKay.
The event experienced the longest delay this week, but persons in attendance were willing to wait – and wait patiently – to see Jahvillani, whose focus has been on the international scene and also, Capleton, who was reportedly in a motor vehicle accident in Cocoa Walk, St Thomas only two days before the billed performance.
Jahvillani approached the stage like a smooth operator. He appeared relaxed, confident but somewhat rehearsed, which though not a bad thing, caused the fans to pressure him more. However, the One Govament deejay he did not fold. Songs like Nuh Rate Dem, Rubberband, Nuh Reason, Pro-Gress and Full A Gyal earned a few lighters in the air. His latest single Richer Than Ever, which has accumulated close to 600,000 views on YouTube in three weeks, had even greater impact performed with the live band. Following the performance Jahvillani said that he was just living and celebrating life.
The same set of musicians, the Inna Di City backing band, also supported Capleton, when he showed up half past midnight. Capleton appeared unbothered and fixated on the task at hand but did not overlook the audience. He comforted persons by saying he could not be absent from the stage and that he was present to speak about “life forevermore” following life-threatening incident and “righteousness” because that has kept him alive.
Chanting and performing classic tracks from That Day Will Come, Who Dem, Jah Jah City, In Her Heart, and Cooyah Cooyah Capleton urged everyone to put their ‘lion paws’ in the air and turn up the symbolic fire to ignite positive energy in the space.
“I’m alive and well, just make the fans know me alive and well,” Capleton said to the The Gleaner after the high-energy performance, adding that, in any accident, “you know you get a likkle shake up, it’s natural as flesh and blood, because we a human being. But the master was around the steering [wheel].”
“We’re in a time we know say people really did a go find themselves, people did a know God and know the power is within them. People spirituality turn up pon a different level. We invocation a go be easy so Babylon do that by driving fear in di people and knowing that when people become fearful they become weak, stop acknowledging God, so me always have to make sure we, me, the audience are spiritually connected and spiritually inclined. So give thanks,” he said.