Dennis Brown Birthday Celebration 2015

By Ras Morgan on Friday, February 13, 2015 - Photos by Ras Morgan - Comment

Dennis Brown birthday celebration started with enjoyment, ended with disappointment.

Everything was going for the best, on this afternoon of Feb the 1st 2015, at Parade downtown Kingston. By 3 pm, people started to gather at the park to celebrate the birthday of Dennis Emanuel Brown. While Irie FM staff was setting their tent and microphone, in order to airwave the event, Exodus band was setting the stage for their live set.

At 3.30 pm, under Kingston sun, Bob Clark of Irie FM opened up the program, playing some Dennis Brown tunes, interviewing some people who gravitated towards the Prince of Reggae, such as Derrick Harriot who was the first to produce him, Leroy Sibbles of The Heptones, Leggo and other family members of the Crown Pince of Reggae. Everything was going at it’s best, the speakers were delivering some good sound, the people were fulljoying themselves, dancing and listening to the remembering of those whom he had shared his life with.

Although the program started a little bit later than how it was planed, the things were going on and by 5.30 pm, Irie FM ended their program and gave the place to Exodus band, the band from the Original Leggo Studio of Orange Street.

As the band took on the stage, an unexpected guest arrived... Rain has found it’s way...

The musician unplugged their instruments and, just like the crowd, sheltered under the tents that were on place.

After half an hour, the rain finally eased up and,as the night took it’s run, the band touched the stage, to play and pay tribute to the one they came to celebrate.

About 15 artists were ready to perform and pay their part on this day; the crowd was still here, ready to get a good live time. The two first artist performed and warmed up the place, then came on stage another unexpected artist, but this one would introduce deception. Police came and lock down the dance. Through the little delay of the program, everything was supposed to stop at 6 pm, but that was the time it really just started, and when the promoters went to get an extension of the program, the authority refused to agree with the request.

That’s how reggae month started for Dennis Brown celebration, and people were very disappointed to see that Jamaican Heros can’t be celebrated and honour as they should, and they are very wondering too because, in this month when the whole world come to celebrate Reggae Music, the police lock it down... that don’t look as a good promotion of the National Heritage. Dennis Brown birthday started with enjoyment but ended up with disappointment.