Intimate | Beres Hammond is like the soundtrack to our lives - Golding
Published:Sunday | January 1, 2023 | 10:37 PMYasmine Peru/Gleaner Writer -
Opposition Leader Mark Golding and his wife, Sandra, were among the hundreds of early birds who turned out to watch Intimate, the showcase headlined by reggae and dancehall icons Beres Hammond and Buju Banton.
Golding, who shared that he rang in the New Year in St Ann, where the event is being staged, could easily reel off tracks from the night's major acts, both of whom he has interacted personally.
"Beres is like the soundtrack to our lives, and the fact that he is still doing it is amazing. He has such a huge catalogue of wonderful songs... Putting Up Resistance, What One Dance Can Do ... there are so many. And I love the catalogue. I've seen Beres perform many, many times, and, in fact, when DB&G, an investment firm I was involved in, was celebrating its 10th anniversary, Beres performed," Golding told The Gleaner.
Showing his music cred, Golding gave his personal assessment of Buju Banton's catalogue and of the artiste himself.
"Buju is an icon of the dancehall, and his catalogue is amazing because it spans, in terms of his approach, very conscious things and more of the hype side, especially the earlier songs. Buju has a very diverse repertoire for a dancehall artiste. I got to know him in the last couple of years on a personal level," Golding said.
Golding spoke highly of the Priory venue and shared that he and Sandra were anticipating having "a great night".
EARLY ARRIVAL
Earlier patrons were steadily streaming into the Grizzly's Plantation Cove venue in St Ann, with enough police officers on duty to direct and ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
Many of those who came out to party with headliners Hammond and Banton, including those in VIP, were wise enough to walk with their chairs, as no seats are provided.
With a 7 p.m. start advertised, it would seem that everyone wanted to beat the crowd and were waiting patiently at the gate from way before 5 p.m. when gates opened.
On the inside, the selectors are keeping the juggling intense.