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Two new bombs on the Xplosion Gargamel's night How loud can you scream 'Beres!'?

Buju Banton

Mel Cook, Freelance Writer

It's Buju Banton's night. Heck, even the title, 'Evolution', applies, as he has evolved from the grinning youth who delivered Browning and Black Woman through to the thoughtful Rastafarian of Untold Stories and settled into the mature dancehall groove of the Driver A.

He is an incredibly powerful performer, his lanky frame bounding to and fro on stage and his guttural voice hugging the rhythms close while his locks tremble with the power of the vocals.

boom tune

Hmm. Wonder if he will be telling that boom tune bye bye?

It is a night on which we can expect somewhat extended sets, as the line-up is relatively short (there, is, of course, that tribute to Fab Five, including Gem Myers, Ernie Smith, Pluto Shervington and others), LL Cool J being the sole American inclusion of a festival that has gone sparing on the input from Miami and points northward. Yeah, he needs love and he will be giving it too.

noteworthy

It is noteworthy, though, that there are quite a few women on the 'Evolution', Alison Hinds bringing that hind that she rolls so wonderfully from Barbados, Alaine, Etana and Cherine Anderson representing the less seasoned (and 'hindy') generation. Of the women, it is Miss 'Roll It' who will carry the day with her superb soca energy.

What she will do for the men is what Shaggy will do for the ladies, 'lover lover' style and all. And he does have a strong, raw dancehall cut in Church Heathen. Hmmm. Wonder if we will see that pastor chap?

Expect steady rocking from Morgan Heritage and yelps from the ladies for Da'Ville, who is always on their mind, and Christopher Martin, who has added Spanish Town to his Rising Stars repertoire.