MEL COOKE, Freelance Writer
Ity - FILE
THROUGH THE CONTESTS and the various performers, the handing out of prizes and cheers from the audience, comedian Ity was a merry host of the most recent edition of 'Wacky Fridays' at the Asylum.
The Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, nightclub was three-quarters full and the laughter was loud as a young man came up to collect a prize for a woman. "Yu have to ask the girl what she want," Ity said, the man duly going to the front of the stage to do just that. "Is me she want?" Ity asked.
The first artiste up was Ultimate, who Ity sent off after he walked on stage initially. "Come on like a star," he said, giving him a star's introduction. Ultimate did not perform like one, though, calling 'pull up' almost as soon as he started deejaying and causing laughter. The second time around he was garbled on the rhythm and there were chuckles as he walked off.
Dollar Sign was three young men, the singer of the trio posing as he sang to the delight of the audience. Ity called him back on stage and said, "Me see all kin' a artiste. All who agree wid me sey a star dis, walk and live." And the members of the audience gleefully completed the line from 'Third World Cop'.
"De las' time me deh a show an' see dis artiste, people start tek off dem clothes," Ity said. "Dem man ya sing big people music," he said, to introduce Hugh Jay. The ladies duly screamed for 'We're In This Love Together,' more coming as he went into a falsetto on the line "it gets sweeter every time". Ity was not left out of the action, miming along to the singing, dropping moves and letting out an off-key 'ooohhh' after Jay ended. "How me soun'?" he demanded. "Oonu no hear me?" Ity asked and there was a collective 'No!'
WARMED UP
Clancy Eccles Jr. sang Love You Down to squealing from the ladies then Ity started a sing-off that brought the house down. Before the contestants hit the stage, though, Ity warmed up the voices in the audience by asking the selector Kevin to play something that everyone knew. He went for Longing For and Ity teased "dem no know dis." The singing got louder and Ity said "hol' on, hol' on. Dem know dah one part yah. Dem know two part." And so it went on, through Buju rasping "only Rasta can liberate the people," individual people coming on stage to the 'Bug' rhythm to do popular songs.
And so the contest began, Ity dubbing one entrant 'Tight Pants'. "Tight pants help him. When him go dung an' de pants squeeze him him sey 'murderer'," Ity said, demonstrating movement and song to the delight of the audience.
It came down to Stacy, Chrome and 'Tight Pants', Chrome eventually winning but handing over the cash prize to Omar, who Ity eventually asked his correct name. As for Stacy, Ity gave her a special prize.
"Right now, you are the winner of an all expense paid, all-inclusive weekend trip to my house," he said, and the Asylum erupted.
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