A Night Of Class With....
Shaggy & Friends By Shantell “Shanz” Hill Photo Credit: Di Rawtid Yute (RawTiD TV) The third staging of Shaggy & Friends, held for its patrons a night of heavenly and delicate offerings both to the palate and the ears. The line- up was stellar, a strong contingent of local talents and international acts that included Eve, Deniece Williams and Lauryn Hill. They say a sequel is never as good as its prior and more so a trilogy, however this was not the case. Under the slogan “SAVE 1 LIFE = 1 TICKET,” Grammy Nominated artist, Shaggy and his team, dared patrons to care! And that they did. I observed everyone involved with the event scurry about on the lawns of Kings House, Jamaica, in an attempt to meet their 5:30pm venue opening deadline. Fast forward, across town to the ticket sales office where prospective patrons and performing bodies were either being accredited or requesting accreditation, the bid for tickets and passes were at an all-time high. This was the event not to miss. At 6:30pm, the movers and shakers were ready and waiting to be entertained and give back in their own way, whether it be cash, kind or just support. The evening kicked into high gear very quickly with an auction of items that included, “a diamond watch from celebrity Jeweler Chris Aire; tickets to the highly rated Michael Jackson Immortal Cirque Du Soleil tour in Miami; a one-on-one surprise experience with the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt; a VIP Black Card from Fiction Nightclub; art pieces; a catered dinner for four to six people done by chef Brian Lumley; spa and villa experiences; signed memorabilia and more.” The performance aspect, otherwise dubbed “The Main Event” started with a band of youths playing the steel pan and performing the anthem. Thereafter, Shaggy and his beautiful twin girls took center stage to welcome all guests followed by a performance. After his performance, Shaggy introduced upcoming reggae artist, Romain Virgo. Virgo’s set was by far one of the most commendable of the night. The progression of the night took an unusual format as each performer appropriately recognized and introduced the following act. This flow and ease of transition made the night a perfect event. Romain led the charge for Tami Chin, Half Pint, Wayne Marshall (joined by Fambo and Tifa), Cocoa Tea, Beres Hammond, Deniece Williams, Gyptian, I-Octane, Agent Sasco, Mr. Vegas, Tarrus Riley, Eve, Ziggy Marley (joined by Damian Issue 5 | February 2012 29