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Nuff respect to Shaggy
MONDAY MUSING
Yasmine Peru
Monday, January 05, 2009
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| Shaggy in performance on Saturday night at the Shaggy and Friends concert on the lawns of Jamaica House. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby |
It was really "out of many one people" as Jamaicans of every hue and from every strata of society mingled on the lawns of Jamaica House in support of a worthy cause, the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Spearheaded by diamond-selling artiste Shaggy, this project now places Shaggy that much closer to the status "icon".
Clearly driven by passion and altruism, this Jamaican (who, incidentally, doesn't even make his money in Jamaica) has been a "friend" of the hospital for several years, and this event was born out of his desire to help the hospital on a grand scale. With Robert Livingston and his Big Yard family giving full support, Shaggy assembled his peers in the music industry, most of whom were only too eager to give their services for free, for this fund-raiser.
The theme, "One ticket = one life" caught the imagination of the people and, believe it or not, it was the pricey $20,000 tickets which were snatched up first, quickly followed by the $10,000. The organisers had to eventually offer more tickets in both sections to keep apace with the demand, as Jamaicans heeded the call to support the children.
Performances were astounding - hardcore dancehall act Lady Saw, who can always be counted on to rise to any and every occasion, sang and teared up, even as the audience shed a few tears with her; Ele took voice lessons just so he could sing We Are The World, and represented well; Buju and Gramps from Morgan Heritage teamed up for their hit version of the 23rd Psalm; Tarrus Riley sang about his baby and Shaggy was the thread that connected it all as he appeared at various times during the evening, sometimes by himself and at other times in combination with various acts.
It was the show of shows and a wonderful, selfless way to start the New Year. Like all the acts declared, "Nuff respect to Shaggy."
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