Freedom Street lights up National Stadium

Despite a bittersweet start to one of Jamaica’s most anticipated concerts, Freedom Street, and a few hiccups, patrons were transported by nostalgic memories of a grand spectacle, culminating in a spectacular ‘Gaza Reunion’ at the National Stadium on New Year’s Eve. With the gates scheduled to open at 4 p.m., Freedom Street supporters reported arriving as early as 1 p.m. Minutes after four, when The Gleaner approached the blended crowd that huddled at the entrance, we were met with bitter rage as members of the crowd uttered, “We came here to see di boss, and wi deh behind bars.”

When our team asked what was causing the hold-up, one of the police officers cordoning off the gates said it was due to some “technical issues on the inside.”

In an attempt to verify the allegations, members of the Touchstone Production team declined to comment on our query. However, further checks revealed details from a member of the Downsound team, who shared that rehearsals had concluded at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. The delay, according to the source, was attributed to additional security checks on the newly installed elevated stage, perimeter areas, and other installations that may have weakened or loosened due to Sunday’s heavy rainfall. Furthermore, a sound check session featuring dancehall queen Spice and Vybz Kartel was still in progress just hours before the gates were scheduled to open.

Though others waited in anger and frustration for their ‘freedom,’ one Jamaican family who flew in from New York shared that they had been waiting in line for over two hours. However, what mattered most to them was that they were present at the event.

“I actually just flew down for the Freedom Street show and it’s my first time back in the country after a few years and I actually came [to see] Kartel … Kartel has been incarcerated for 13 years and to me, he’s one of the greatest dancehall artistes right now besides Bob Marley; and I know this event is gonna be a historical event and I just wanna be a part of it … I just wanna see what he got to bring to the table and if he still got it,” said Tannieka Taylor, whose been residing in the States for the past 30 years. Singing and vibing to what she knew of the ‘Black Kartel’ era of music in the early 2000s, an excited Taylor said she wants to hear “the old Kartel songs before he went to prison…”I’m here for the old school hits – all 800 a dem,” she laughed.

With the chip not falling too far from the block, Tannieka’s daughter, Deidri-Ann McKenzie, revelled in excitement as she and her dad anticipated their favourite hits from Kartel’s 2000’s catalogue.

At about 10 minutes to six, patrons were finally allowed into the venue, though frustration still lingered. However, the welcoming scent of jerked pan chicken and pork, along with aromas from various soups at the food booths, gradually transformed the supporters’ faces into smiles as they mingled with vendors and fellow patrons.

Seasoned emcee, Fyahman, calmed the crowd with his commands, thought-provoking comments, and music, getting partygoers relaxed and in the mood for a ‘vibesy concert.’

NO REGRETS

As the atmosphere came alive, fans expressed no regrets about the expense and shared their excitement at being in Jamaica to experience the moment.

“I’ve been listening to Kartel for so long and when he got locked up, I thought I’d never get a chance to see him suh when him free up mi have to be here, can’t miss it, no matter how much it cost me – mi sell mi leg, mi arm, everything,” Natasha Scott laughed. She added that as a “die-hearted” Kartel fan she keenly watched his court cases as she held her “... breath, hoping that they’d free him”.

Following musical selections from selectors like Boom Boom and Chris Diamond, ranging from old school to contemporary songs, fans warmed up to the juggling as they trickled in, filling the stadium to half its capacity by 9:15 p.m.

As the time drew closer for the ‘Worl Boss’ to take the stage at 10 p.m., the electrified crowd responded eagerly to all commands from Ricky Platinum and Prince Royal, who whipped them into a frenzy with a mix of local and international selections.

Resident emcee, ‘MC Nuffy’, who took the stage at approximately 9:40 p.m. in a custom-designed captain outfit, showered his wife with praise for helping make his Freedom Street opportunity a reality. After his Nuffy-style big-up to Vybz Kartel, the MC cooled down the excited crowd with a slew of gospel music throughout his set.

WORL’ BOSS DELAYED

With Kartel and his family entering the stadium around five minutes to 10, fans were convinced the show would kick off on time. However, to their dismay, they were treated to another hour of musical juggling.

Gracing the stage at 11:15 p.m., the man of the moment, dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel, was elevated in a three-piece pinstripe suit and his signature shades. After striking an animated pose for a few minutes while being introduced by MC Nuffy, Kartel blessed the audience with two of his jail-inspired hits, Dollar Sign and When Shatta Go A Jail, followed by popular tracks like Bicycle, Love Dem, and Pure Love Mi Gi Gyal, which the supporters sang word for word.

After a 30-minute performance, Kartel was joined by Gaza empire member Gaza Indu for their raunchy singles Virginity and Know Bout Me.

As the crowd captured the moments on their phones, they responded at the pause of each song with vuvuzelas echoing through the stadium.

“People memba mi tell unu enuh, is an empire reunion enuh and dat was [Gaza] Indu,” said Kartel just before introducing his next guest, Lisa Hyper who brought a vibrant energy on set.

The eventful set saw a chronological flow of colleagues joining the ‘Worl’ Boss’ on stage. This included musician/producer Rvssian and dancehall artiste Spice, who was dressed in a blue custom-designed short set with a matching crown and boots, all beautifully adorned with a handkerchief-patterned bandana. She completed her look with a coat bearing the image of the two for their single Romping Shop, symbolising the orange bandana Kartel wore in prison. After ringing in the new year with the ‘queen’, in fireworks-style, Kartel was joined by Shawn Storm, then later resumed his session with Spice dropping a slew of their spicy hits.

An international collab with Busta Rhymes got everyone vibing to a different beat and pace at 12:33 a.m., but the Gaza reunion continued with artistes such as Jah Vinci, Popcaan, Sheba, and Vybz Kartel’s two sons, Likkle Addi and Likkle Vybz. Notably, Bounty Killer, African superstar Shatta Wale, and Tommy Lee also graced the stage, while cameo appearances from Skeng, Nhance, and Ishawna made their mark at Freedom Street.

A ‘Black Kartel’ from his ‘jersey days’ reappeared in an outfit change midway through his set, dropping hits from his early 2000s catalogue, to which the crowd responded with excitement. The entertainment package brought the crowd to a climax before a brief tussle on stage among artistes’ entourages, along with insults and slurs directed at organisers by Popcaan and Chronic Law, which caused a slight scare among patrons but was quickly quelled by security.

The concert resumed for a few more minutes before being halted by peace officers at about 2:40 a.m., with Kartel closing out with words of gratitude to the patrons.

natasha.williams@gleanerjm.com