Redemption 9: ‘The Way Forward’ will long be remembered by patrons as a night of superb performances by some of reggae’s great of the present and past.

The event brought a sold-out crowd to the Queen Parks Savannah where they were thoroughly entertained by the Reggae stalwarts Steel Pulse, Sizzla  Kalonji, and Super Cat.

The Show started on time with the legendary reggae group Steel Pulse. Their repertoire which lasted over 40 minutes included classics like ‘King James Version’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Life Without Music’, and ‘Chant A Psalm A Day’. It’s not often to start a show with a band of such caliber.

Bermudan Reggae superstar Collie Buddz did not disappoint the crowd with his mega-hit ‘Love And Reggae’, ‘Come Around’, and ‘Mamacita’.

Up next was Christopher Martin with his branded ladies’ appeal charming them with his hit songs including ‘Paper Loving’, ‘Cheaters Prayer, ‘Mama’, and many more in his 40 minutes on stage.

With the previous acts setting the stage for the headliner, the PA system bellowed: “Praising Jah and the Royal Son of Ethiopia! Queen Park Savannah, we are getting ready! from Judgment Yard to the Queens Park Savannah! Take out your phones and let us welcome Sizzla Kalonji!

Sizzla was impressively dressed in a grey suit, white shirt with a white bow tie, and matching turban which reflected his Bobo Ashanti Rastafarian roots. In an hour-long repertoire and to the delight of the crowd, he went through his hits that included ‘Man Woman and Child’, ‘Thank You Mama’, ‘We Got It Right Here’, and ‘Just One of Those Days’.

Throughout his performance, Sizzla, whose real name is Miguel Collins,  commented on the senseless killings in Trinidad.

He warned, “We don’t want no gangster, no gang, no you, no me. Because it’s young gangsters that we’re taking and killing each other. It doesn’t work in Jamaica, so it must not work in Trinidad.”

Sizzla went on to say, “We do a lot of gangster stuff in Jamaica, just for the play system and sound system,”

“Don’t say any gangster songs in the music and start killing each other. It’s not right. We don’t do that in Jamaica. Cut it out.” The entertainer pleaded.

The end of Sizzla’s sizzling performance was by no way the end of the show for the Super Cat of Reggae the Don Dadda himself was yet to perform.

Dressed in a three-piece suit, the now 60-year-old performance was filled with energy and the vigor of a man half his age. He had the crowd singing and dancing along as he took them down memory lane with his hits including ‘Come Down’, ‘Cry for the Youth’, ‘Say Boops Deh’, ‘Nuff Man ah Dead’,’ Don Dada’, ‘Ghetto Red Hot’ and ‘I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane’.

A pleasant surprise of the night was an impromptu singing competition that brought four contestants on stage with each having to render a verse and chorus of one of the night’s performing artists’ songs. The audience was pleasantly surprised by Radha Mahabir’s lively rendition of a Super Cat song and voted her the winner.

Other local performers worth mentioning are Jamelody and Mr King; they both received hearty applause from the audience.

Caribbean Entertainment Hub congratulates Tropix Entertainment, Redemptoin’s promoter, for an excellent presentation. In our humble opinion,  They are one of Trinidad & Tobago’s premier entertainment franchises.

For full coverage of the show visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJLwBFvC3-6V_kxwYPKQ1YAT2dRc969vF