Article and Photos Courtesy: Overtime Media @overtimett
Summer Stage sizzled at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Saturday night, bringing thousands together in a celebration of music, energy and Caribbean unity. And as the great legend Bob Marley once sang, *“One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.”
But this was more than just a night of booming bass, dancehall anthems and thousands of fans singing along.
What began as a major night of Jamaican dancehall, featuring some of the region’s biggest stars, also became a significant moment for Trinibad Music, when Kman (Kashif Sankar) brought Plumpy Boss (Mescach Emmanuel) onto the SummerStage.
The two Trinibad artistes — previously associated with opposing sides of the local dancehall conflict — shared the stage and performed together, including a song by former rival Medz Boss (Joseph Ollivierre).
Plumpy Boss was accompanied onstage by his mother, former radio announcer Sandra Emmanuel, aka Warrior Princess/Queen Steam, and popular Trinibad advocate who provides one of the leading bodyguard service provider in the business , Kevin Da Costa, aka Johnny Bravo.
The significance of the moment was heightened by what had taken place earlier that day.
Kman and Plumpy Boss had participated in a government-facilitated peace meeting hosted by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, with Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj also earlier in the day prior to the concert .
Alexander and the Ministry of Homeland Security deserve credit for helping to bring the parties together and creating an opportunity for dialogue at a time when tensions and concerns surrounding the Trinibad movement continue to attract national attention.
That effort did not remain behind closed doors. As it proves that the Minister and by extension the government is doing what’s necessary for a safer T&T at this time.
Hours later, the conversation found its way onto one of Trinidad’s biggest entertainment stages, as Kman and Plumpy Boss stood side by side before thousands of people and performed together.
The onstage reunion provided a powerful visual representation of the dialogue and reconciliation being encouraged around the Trinibad movement, particularly amid ongoing public debate over violent lyrics, gang associations and calls for restrictions on some local dancehall music.
For the thousands gathered at the Savannah, it was a striking image — two artistes who had been associated with opposing sides sharing a stage, while the crowd responded to the music rather than the divisions that have surrounded the movement.
And then there was the Jamaican flavour.
Teejay, the Uptop Boss and ” Drift General“, made it clear once again why Trinidad feels like a second home to him.
The Jamaican dancehall star, who has repeatedly spoken about his love for Trinidad and Tobago and refers to the country as his second home, delivered one of the night’s standout performances, opening his set with “Airplane Mode”in a distinctive pilot-inspired costume.
From the moment he touched the stage, Teejay had the Savannah moving, seamlessly shifting and drifting between hard-hitting dancehall, love songs and crowd favourites while giving the Trinidadian audience a performance tailored for the occasion.
Dancers from Xtreme Dance Academy joined him for “Phenomenal, “Up Top Boss” and other selections, adding another layer of energy to an already electric set.
Fresh red roses were also distributed to women in the crowd, turning sections of the performance into a full-fledged dancehall love affair.
Teejay’s appearance further underlined the Caribbean connection at the heart of Summer Stage, with the Jamaican star continuing to champion collaboration between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago through his music and public comments.
Then came Alkaline, who followed with his own powerful performance as the crowd continued to swell, eventually filling much of the Savannah Paddock. With the venue reaching capacity, fire officials eventually restricted further entry as thousands packed into the area.
Even the rain could not cool things down.
It arrived near the end of Alkaline’s set, but by then SummerStage had already delivered its defining moments.
For a genre often criticized for its association with conflict, seeing two of Trinibad’s most closely watched artistes standing together and performing before thousands offered a very different picture of what the movement can represent.
As Delicia Patterson, Manager of artiste Jahllano, told “XVibes”, Trinibad now has an opportunity to move towards *“more positive outcomes, collaborations instead of clashes and economic sustainability.”
And perhaps that is what made Saturday night’s Summer Stage more than just another major concert.
The music brought the crowd together, Jamaica and Trinidad shared the stage, and a peace initiative that began earlier in the day found its most powerful expression under the lights of the Savannah.
For one night, at least, the music did what music has always done best — brought people together.
Summer Stage definitely sizzled and brought the heat. How will they top this next year? We wait to see…..
