Sheldon Blackman embodies Ras Shorty I
Michael Mondezie
“LOOK Shorty!”
That incredulous shout from a visitor to the Blackman Ranch last Saturday in Piparo drew a chorus of audible gasps from a small touring party. Led by Isaac and Nehilet Blackman, through the green acres they’ve called home for more than three decades, the group was halted in their tracks at the sight of a tall, striking figure. Standing between two trees in long, flowing white garb, he smiled welcomingly. Guitar in hand, the man beckoned them forward, saying: “This is the exact spot where I wrote so many of my songs.”
The group, there for the Blackman’s Bonfire Jam, tiptoed forward apprehensively.
“He alive?” asked one woman, leaning her body forward to get a better view, her feet remaining as rooted to the spot as the nearby dancing trees.
How could this be? Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman) had died nearly 22 years ago, not so? Shorty, 59, had indeed lost his battle to myeloma (bone cancer) on July 12, 2000. In fact, what the befuddled group were witnessing at the late soca inventor’s ranch on Saturday was a re-enactment of Shorty by his son Sheldon.
“Welcome to Piparo, welcome to the Blackman Ranch. This is where I invented jamoo music,” Shorty 2.0 told the group, many of whom were now smiling from behind recording phone screens, keen to document the unexpected encounter.
It was worth the scare. The group was then treated to a special performance of Shorty’s 1999 global hit, “Watch Out My Children”. Sheldon’s voice floated beautifully between the trees to find the harmonies of his siblings, Isaac and Nehilet. It was sonically superb, pore-raising stuff.
Where is the fire?
Back at the main Sokah house on the ranch, there was a festive setting displaying the full industry of the Blackman family.
FeatBody: Loud soca music shuffled feet towards the enticing waft of dirt-oven-grilled fish and plantain fries, prepared under a thatched hut by Noel Blackman. Next door, in a concrete kitchen, his sister Abbi Blackman made their father’s famous fried bake and bhaji and Yaba soup. Nearby, Abbi’s daughter, soca star Nailah Blackman, displayed her Sweet & Loco juices.
Edified and sated, the lucky few who made the long, winding journey to Piparo gathered around a lit bonfire for a beautiful sunset performance by Sheldon. With his brother keeping time on a congo drum, Sheldon found the opening notes to his 2003 hit, “Two is Better than One”, drawing howls of approval from the small audience.
“Where is the fire? The fire in my people. Where is the fire, oh God,” Sheldon sung, the crackling flame in front him answering his impassioned query.
Sheldon guided his fireside audience through a memorable sing-along, encore performance of “Watch Out My Children”, first in English, then Spanish and Hindi.
Moments later, Marge Blackman took centre stage at the family performance spot under a thatched roof and colourful lights. Marge opened her powerful set with her 2021 release, “Dear Earth”, before deconstructing her 2022 SaveSoil collaboration with Machel Montano, “Touch the Ground”. The pair debuted the song at yogi Sadhguru’s (Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev) 2022 Maha Shivratri celebrations in March, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Passions further ignited when Marge cued her backing musicians, which included Sheldon and Isaac, into her 2017 Carnival hit with three-time International Soca Monarch Voice (Aaron St Louis), “Full of Vibe”. The display lifted the audience out of their seats and sent many airborne off their feet.
Marge attempted to bid dem goodnight and leave the stage, only to bow to their chants for more with an encore performance of her 2017 self-love jam, “Be”.
What a day! What an experience on the Blackman Ranch. For those who missed it, fear not, a little birdie told me Isaac and Nailah are up next.
