Entertainment

Cliff's craft celebrated at Calabash '05

By MEL COOKE, Freelance Writer

Jimmy Cliff gets into a dancing mood during his performance at Rebel Salute, held at Sport Kaiser Complex, St. Elizabeth, on Saturday, January 15. - Carlington Wilmot

WESTERN BUREAU:

A TRIO OF guitars and voices, sometimes complemented by a chorale of hundreds under the tent at Jakes in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, celebrated the 'Craft of Jimmy Cliff' on Sunday afternoon.

Billy Mystic, Wayne Armond and Stephen Golding started out together with 'We All Are One', before Armond put Cliff in the context of his peers, whose music had been explored at previous stagings of the Calabash International Literary Festival, which marked its fifth staging last weekend.

"Bob (Marley) you would say is the prophet. Peter (Tosh) is the revolutionary. Jimmy is the bard, the wordsmith. Words flow out of Jimmy ­ rhyme, reason," Armond said.

"Let's start historically," Golding said, going back to Cliff's early years with a medley of Hurricane Hattie and My Miss Jamaica.

Progression

Mystic told a touching story as he took over from Golding. Jimmy Cliff had given the upcoming Reggae band (Mystic Revealers) a chance to rehearse in his studio when he (Cliff) was not using it. "We used to get one day a month, to one weekend a month, to once a week, to whenever him wasn't rehearsing, till he became producer of our first single, Mash Down Apartheid," Billy said.

He took the first verse of Sitting In Limbo, Armond doing the second, the three ending on the refrain to thunderous applause.

Many there, it seemed, had been touched by the next song, as hundreds sang "let the rebel in me, touch the rebel in you". Golding started Trapped the Cliff way, then Armond did it Bruce Springsteen style. Mystic did the lead on You Can Get It If You Really Want, Golding followed with Wonderful World (Beautiful People), then Armond led a call and response on the beautiful I Am In All.

Golding also went into Cliff's anthology with Oneness and The Shelter Of Your Love, the three combining for I Can See Clearly Now, after which they packed up as if to go.

Of course, more was demanded and they obliged with Billy Mystic resting his guitar and singing lead on The Harder They Come.

For the next song, Armond said it was a track for which Cliff would always end his performances.

In part, the reaction to Bongo Man was great on Sunday, Golding playing percussions, but they also sang along as Armond and Mystic moved into the Rastaman Chant, By The River of Babylon and The Lion of Judah, Armond holding a very long 'say' as they returned to the Rastaman Chant, then ended with a very slow rendition of Bongo Man'.

And as host of the session, Colin Channer said before it started, "you don't have to be dead for Calabash to praise you".