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Tru-Juice Rebel Salute 2007 - Port Kaiser - Jamaica

Buju Banton was at his best on Saturday night at the 2007 Tru-Juice Rebel Salute, as he stole the spotlight at the Port Kaiser venue in St. Elizabeth.

While almost everyone played second fiddle to the nimble star, acts such as deejay Assassin, songbird Diana King, veteran singer Wayne Wonder, new sensation Etana, Kenyatta Hill, the Abyssinians, Mackie Conscious and the Canada-based Steel all delivered exceptional performances.

Hitting centre stage at 2:58 a.m., the lanky Buju Banton, sent the crowd into a frenzy as he opened with Bongo Cart, leaving chorus to the imaginative patrons who deftly filled in expletives.

Except for a near contentious moment when singjay Fanton Mojah tried several times before he succeeded in getting fellow singjay Turbulence, who the stage handlers were blocking, to join him on stage with a little help from MC Elise Kelly and the crowd, the show was good if not great.

With momentum mounting in his favour, Buju skilfully sampled lyrically potent hit songs which delved into biting social commentary, chastising politicians for not developing the country, gunmen for spreading misery and death while reminding the homosexuals that "a not fgt put Buju pon top."

Fabulous job

With the crowd offering as much vocal support as his three female back-up singers, Buju belted out songs such as, Talk to Me,Mr. Nine, Hill and Valey and Destiny, among a slew of other hits. Towards the end of his set Pinchers joined him on stage and together they reeled off Don and Bandelero.

When Buju exited the stage, a chorus of "More!" erupted from the grounds, forcing the MC to invite Buju back for an encore. He returned and immediately sent the crowd into ecstasy, belting out the popular anthem Driver A and then polished off his set with, Over Me, Bty Rider and Deportee.

While other acts seemed contented to operate in Buju's shadow, Diana King decided to go after the glory and did a fabulous job exciting the crowd as she skilfully blended new material with vintage stuff. She was in her element as she delivered songs such as So Many Things to Remember, Spanish Town Blues and the mega-hit, Shy Guy.

New sensation Etana and the new lead singer of Culture, Kenyatta Hill (the son of the late Joseph Hill), played excellent sets. Etana had the freshness reminiscent of R&B star India Arie, as she belted out songs such as Jah is First and Nuclear as she showed off her guitar skills. Young Hill evoked pleasant memories of his late father, as in addition to their physical resemblance, he expertly handled songs such as, Two Sevens Clash and Conqueror, among others.

Wayne Wonder appeared before Buju and Assassin and came in the same segment with acts such as Wayne Marshall, Chuck Fender, Gregory Isaacs, Richie Spice and Taurus Riley. All rushed through their sets under pressure from the stage management, showing signs that they are legitimate contenders for stardom.

On another night, acts such as Izinger, Mickey General, Chesidek, Lady G, Hero, Jah Mason, Richie Spice and Chuck Fender would probably have merited greater accolades but not even a blazing closing set, which saw Tony Rebel, Beenie Man (who attended as a patron and was called on to the stage) and Sugar Minott reeling off a string of hits in the absence of closing act Sanchez, could be remotely be compared to Buju's show-stopping performance.