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Reggae Sumfest 2009 Friday International Night One

Filed under Jamaica, Jamaica Music, Reggae Concerts

Oct 28

The second night of Reggae Sumfest 2009 was actually a bit of a let down for me. This was International Night Number One and the line up was heavy on pop and sparkle which is not really my style of music. The night started early with some great new performers like Ras Penco and Hezron which were followed by strong performances from Lutan Fyah and Coco Tea but the rest of the night was weak and full of pop and r&b artists that did not interest me much.

I took lots of breaks and sat out much of the mid section of this evening . I skipped performances by Jazmine Sullivan and Keri Hilson and the only reason I watched NeYo was to see how he reacted to Jamaicans using his music as they have. He paid tribute to Vybz Kartel and Spice by letting the crowd sing their song to his beat. It was a weak attempt to make a connection with the crowd but it seemed to work Many fans went along with it but there were quite a few hisses and comments about his lawsuit over the use of his music. Seems he has a few people out there that like the Vybz Kartel version of his riddim.

NeYo on stage at Reggae Sumfest 2009

I waited it out for the finale with Morgan Heritage and Queen Ifrica but I faded out before the sun came up and Jah Cure went on stage. I was actually sitting on my ass when he went live and I jumped in the bus home while he was performing. I was simply out of gas and unable to stand up any longer after two full days on my feet.

Morgan Heritage put on a strong group performance and then went into solo pieces for Gramps, Peter and the youngest brother and it was a treat to see the many different musical styles they have grown into. Gramps and Peter have more reggae and r&b influences but the younger generation shows more rap and hip hop.

Morgan Heritage Live at Sumfest 2009

Queen Ifrica has impressed me with her powerful stage presence and her ability to sing gracefully but with power. She did a rendition of Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror and she did it with style. The crowd appreciated her performance and everyone sang along as part of the Sumfest Michale Jackson Tribute.