Sizzla and friends spark musical flame at SoundForge

SOUNDFORGE came alive with the sound of sweet reggae music on June 7 as Jamaican reggae legend Sizzla Kalonji (Miguel Collins) graced the stage with his friends at the One Love pop-up concert.

Several hundred fans came out, many decked in red, gold and green – the colours of the Ethiopian flag – including members of the Bobo Shanti and Nyabinghi mansions of Rastafari.

Clad in a khaki suit, Sizzla ran on to the stage to Show Us The Way with his energy already at 100 per cent. He was greeted by a crowd that matched his energy, often singing along to his songs verbatim.

With such an extensive catalogue, he did his best to give fans a taste of angles of his musical range.

He sang many of his classics like Solid As a Rock, Thank You Mama, Just One of Those Days, Dry Cry, Be Strong, Praise Ye Jah, Woman I Need You, as well as songs like Pump Up and No Way.

He also performed Give Me A Try, accompanied by steelpan player Opal Murrell. Pointing to the national instrument, Sizzla said, “You know, this is very much a part of our culture. Steelpan, real pan.”

He did not shy away from addressing the elephant in the room.

The singer was scheduled to perform at the now-flopped and heavily criticised One Caribbean Music Festival on May 31. However, he, along with headliner Jamaican dancehall star Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer and at least seven others did not perform.

Although Sizzla was already in the country, his team cited the promoters’ “failure to meet key terms.”

Many were bitterly disappointed and are still demanding refunds from the show’s organisers, Jacho Entertainment Ltd, owned by Jamaican entrepreneur Odane Anderson.

But Sizzla remained here and he said he could not leave his fans disappointed.

He then linked up with soca stars Fay-Ann Lyons and Bunji Garlin, among others, to help plan and execute a “Sizzla and friends pop-up show” as soon as possible.

Addressing the “unfortunate scenario,” Sizzla said he needed to let the people of Trinidad and Tobago “feel respected and feel appreciated for supporting artistes.

“It doesn’t matter what genre of music, whether calypso, soca, dancehall, hip-hop, reggae, you, the people, have been supporting us…You made us great, you’re the reason that I’m here.”

He said he was given one instruction for the pop-up concert: "Mek wan likkle movie, Dada." (Make a little movie).

And he rose to the occasion.

He invited Bunji onstage to freestyle, later thanking him for being one of the main people behind the show.

Throughout his near two-hour performance, Sizzla’s flame never dwindled, so too the audience's.

As usual, he called for peace and denounced violence, especially among youth influenced by “gun chune.”

Other artistes who performed included Marlon Asher, Jalifa, Black Loyalty, Jahllano, Rheon Elbourne, Revelation, Izzy Izrhel and T’Jean.

Asher had the crowd belting out his hits like Ganja Farmer and Shorty, and Jalifa’s commanding voice and stage presence also had the audience in their glee.

Speaking to Newsday, Sizzla said when he is in Trinidad and Tobago, he feels like he is home.

“The love from the children, from the schools…These people are really beautiful and it’s just great being in a country with a people coming from so far, who been through a whole lot and still standing. You remind me of Jamaica.

“The character, the morale and the warm welcome, even from the first time coming to this country…As they say, first impressions last. TT, you’re beautiful. Thank you for having us here.”