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Some of the biggest moments in Jamaican music have never happened on a concert stage.
They have happened in dances, where a selector finds the right record at the right time, a dubplate sends a crowd into a frenzy, and a sound system turns a song everybody knows into something that feels brand new.
That tradition will have a place at ENCORE LIVE: Culture Rising this Sunday, August 30, when Bass Odyssey and DJ Delano of Renaissance join Capleton, Nesbeth and Dean Fraser at Plantation Cove in St Ann. Their inclusion gives the event another dimension, connecting the live concert experience to the sound-system culture that has helped reggae and dancehall travel through generations.
The connection runs deep for Bass Odyssey, as the sound system was founded in St Ann. The sound has spent decades building a reputation through clashes, dubplates and dances, becoming one of the most recognised Jamaican sound systems at home and internationally. Its presence at Plantation Cove also carries a sense of homecoming, with ENCORE LIVE unfolding in the same parish from which the sound emerged.
Renaissance brings a different but equally important chapter of Jamaican sound-system history. The sound has long been associated with dancehall, party culture and the ability to move comfortably between generations of Jamaican music. DJ Delano, one of Renaissance’s most recognisable selectors, has built a career around reading crowds and understanding that a strong set is about much more than simply playing popular songs.
That skill becomes especially important on a night where the audience will move between several different types of Jamaican musical experiences. Capleton brings the intensity and catalogue of one of reggae and dancehall’s most formidable live performers, while Nesbeth offers songs grounded in perseverance and upliftment. Dean Fraser represents the live instrumental tradition, and Bass Odyssey and Renaissance complete the picture by bringing the energy of the dance directly into the concert setting.
DJ Delano of Renaissance expressed, “Sound-system culture has always been a major part of how Jamaican music connects with people, so having Renaissance as part of ENCORE LIVE makes sense. You have the live artistes and musicians, and then you have the sounds bringing that energy from the dance. It is about reading the crowd, keeping the vibes moving and making sure every part of the night connects, and I am looking forward to having a great time with the patrons”
That ability to connect the different sections of the programme could be one of the defining features of ENCORE LIVE. Sound systems have traditionally occupied the spaces between records and audiences, helping new songs catch fire, keeping older favourites alive and creating moments that often depend entirely on instinct. A selector can change the direction of a dance in seconds by recognising what the crowd wants before the crowd even knows it.
With Bass Odyssey and Renaissance on the same bill, Sunday’s event has room to tap into that unpredictability. The two sounds come from different traditions and have their own identities, but both understand the power of Jamaican music when it is experienced collectively.
-EDITOR
