Five Virtual Concerts We’re Waiting For
Online performances have temporarily replaced in-person concerts, and stage shows because of the coronavirus pandemic. Early concerts were more geared towards raising funds for COVID-relief, like ‘Telethon Jamaica: Together We Stand‘ in April, which featured artistes like Capleton, Marcia Griffiths, and The Marley-clan, and Global Citizen’s ‘One World: Together at Home’ concert which featured Koffee.
These humanitarian concerts aside, quarantine has also borne witness to memorable virtual concerts staged by acts like Chronixx, Protoje, Lila Iké, Sevana, Sizzla, and Agent Sasco. But as Bob Marley said, when music hits you feel no pain, so we could do with some more.
Here are five virtual concerts Jamaican music enthusiasts would love to see.
Spice
Spice has been living her best quarantine life in Atlanta from purchasing a new home to joining the YouTube vlog family and recently venturing to New Jersey for a small Labor Day show. But the blue-haired, show-stopper is still missed in the performance arena.
The So Mi Like It deejay is known for putting on a grand showcase, from her unpredictable stage entrances, unique costumes, energetic dancers, controversial freestyles, and the usually hilarious fan segment where she invites a male patron on stage to get “between the sheets.” While the only in-person audience would be the production crew, we know Spice can work around pulling off a fun concert that would take people’s minds off the pandemic.
Tanya Stephens
She’s already a rarity on the Jamaican stage (justly arguing that performers make most of their income overseas), but the pandemic is adding salt to the wound.
Stephens is a lone performance conqueror, needing no props, dancers, nor fancy costumes to hold her audience captive. All she needs are her signature sunnies, some boots, a mic, and she’s off! From a catalog rich in the nuances of love and lust to her sassy interludes, Stephens would be an educational, comical, and “sintoxicating” treat.
Queen Ifrica
From one thought-provoking Queen to the next, Ifrica’s unapologetic nature and barefoot performances are truly missed. The Times Like These singer has been known to ruffle a feather or two with “rants” about social injustice and lifestyles non-conforming to her Rastafari beliefs regardless of the audience. Despite your position on her argument, once she gets to singing classics like Below The Waist, Lioness On The Rise, and Black Woman, you’ll rival her background vocalist. Let’s also not underestimate her acoustic bag.
Popcaan
Picture it: an Unruly Camp online show, Unruly Fest 2.0, if you will. Popcaan is another entertainer who ditches the props (and half of each song), but his on-stage charisma, audience engagement, and well-aging catalog repeatedly work in his favor.
He usually rolls with an entourage at events, but to honor social and physical distancing measures, fans would be pleased with three guest performers: Quada, Dane Ray, and Zamunda.
Beres Hammond
The paragon of lovers rock performers, Beres Hammond, never fails to deliver your money’s worth. Should this veteran agree to an online concert and go the pay-per-view route, it’d be totally worth it. We’ve seen Hammond captivate in pre-recorded performances for BBC’s 1Xtra, so a web concert wouldn’t be far off. More than likely appearing in a cap, dress shirt, and pants, Hammond’s ageless records, ear-caressing falsettos, and foot-stomping releases would definitely be virtual concert-worthy.