TONY REBEL got a rather unusual request at the Love Boat in Negril's West End last Saturday night. "Show back de pum pum dem. Mi neva see dem!" a man shouted to Rebel, just after he tore the sparse house down with Just Friends, Honeycone filling in for Swade. The man who closed Reggae Sumfest 2002 took the request in stride. "That's why yu need to be here from early. Him tink pum pum show," Rebel said. Tony Rebel was the closeing and second of two guest performers at an adult poetry performance put on by the PUM PUM POSSE. He was in the venue not only early enough to see the trio of female poets, Sajoya, Ama-Donna and Chandis, but also to request a 'wheel up' from fellow guest performer Angella Stewart, who put on a solid show. |
| "The PUM PUM POSSE never fail to amaze me. Rasta comes of age," he said laughing. His performance was no laughing matter, though, as Tony Rebel put as much effort into his performance before a below-capacity audience as he did for the huge crowd at Sumfest 2002's International night. It was an appreciative crew at the Love Boat which danced full steam ahead to Rebel's hits, as well as cameos by Queen Ifrica, Honeycone, Rebel's son Patony and DJ Legit. Tony Rebel opened with Know Jah, then moving into Jah Will Never Let Us Down and hailing the Loyal Soldier. There were apparently many in the audience- and no Hypocrites, as they howled when Rebel drew that number. Crooning "pull up the vibes that you are playing", a la Beres Hammond, did not hurt at all. "Me love Jamaica. But everytime me come a wes' me feel like stay. So if anybody have a piece a lan can give me, or a little cellar mi can cotch ---. One lady (in the audience) sey 'I just saw you at the House of Blues'. But now you are here in Jamaica. Jamaica is nice. And we find out that especially when yu go abroad, especially in the winter," Tony Rebel said. Sweet Jamaica naturally followed the discourse and Love Boat rocked. Ras Inna De Kitchen continued the 'bussing' - and by this time Rebel was breaing a sweat himself. Rebel interacted with keyboard player Sheldon Bernard, his performance interspersed with cries of 'Let's do this!'. |
| "Anything you want Sheldon. You jus' play," Tony Rebel said. Sheldon played Reggae Put Jamaica on Top, then One Day, on which Tony Rebel again paid homage to Beres Hammond, this time with a snippet of Tempted To Touch. There were howls for Chatty Chatty and the joint erupted for High Grade, sepecially when Rebel chanted: How yu fi lock up de man true yu fine likkle herb An a fine so much skull inna hole Just Friends demolished the venue. Rebel then called on Queen Ifrica to do the female counteraction (Just My Brethren). Without fanfare or hype, Queen Ifrica sang her part then dejayed, ripping up Love Boat as she stuck to the rhythm lie skin on an orange. She left, but was demanded back and did an original number about "the streets are bloody, they just killed somebody," introducing a sombre but much appreciated note to the merriment. Patony and DJ Legit performed to the crowd's delight before Rebel returned to front and centre with If Jah Is By My Side, Honeycone delivering Cry No More well to an appreciative audience The Crew then left the stage, but Rebel was called back, so he tipped his hat westwards to Cuba with Jah is By My Side in Spanish. Joined by the PUM PUM POSSE on stage, Tony Rebel was reminded of two songs for the ladies, leaving the stage as their cardiologist. |
 |
 |
| Article written by Star reporter MEL COOKE -(adapted by Chandis) Photos of Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica also by MEL COOKE, Group Shot, Photographer Simon Ramsey, 2002. STAR issue Saturday, September 7, 2002 |
 |