Dancehall shines at Hennessy BRT Glow
Published:Saturday | March 18, 2023 | 12:44 AM
It was a dancehall-filled night last Saturday at the Hennessy BRT Glow event held at Pearly Beach, Ocho Rios. In between the dazzling display of neon and strobe lights, glow sticks and necklaces, dancehall was on stellar display, showcasing raw talent and a culture that is inherently Jamaican.
In true music festival style, there was a panoramic view of the artistes onstage for the crowd, which was ready and waiting to soak in the star-studded line-up with performances by Kraff, Skeng, Tactic, 1Biggsdon, Valiant, Ding Dong and The Ravers.
Founder of BRT Weekend, Hans-Peter Mullings, was pleased with the overall turnout at the event and the reception of patrons to performances.
“The turnouts have been amazing. All parties so far have been received with overwhelming support and great responses. We are so pleased with the reception here,” he said.
Ultimately, dancehall is a versatile genre and is consumed in different forms by different people and there was a performance for everyone. Kraff opened with a few singles from his recent 11:11 EP, such as Big Crook and Karma Keyz, while Skeng took things up a notch with an energetic performance that kept his fans busy chanting his lyrics and his security team on their toes. They had to help him up onstage after the artiste took several leaps into the audience.
Valiant simmered things down a bit with a steady flow of lyrics performing hits, such as Barbies, Siance and Dunce Cheque. He teased fans with his signature Fada Rock before leaving the stage.
The show then hit a turning point when Ding Dong and The Ravers crew graced the stage with a high burst of energy which had fans dancing along for about 20 nonstop minutes. Ding Dong, performing alongside Bravo Ravers, unleashed some of their older hits, such as Bad Man Forward and Flairy, as well as newer favorites, such as Stir Fry and Bounce.
Another noteworthy part of dancehall is the sound system culture. Representing the sound system community were Chromatic sound, Cyclone, Noah Powa, Crazy Neil, Coppershot and Lava Sound, who all contributed greatly to the experience of patrons who enjoyed Hennessy libations responsibly, while drinking in the fun.