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Rodigan out Black Reaction out Silver Star out Dub fi Dub: Mighty Crown vs. Bass Odyssey |
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Berichte von Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Bericht bei Jamaica Star
Mighty Crown takes Death Before Dishonour '07
The Mighty Crown lifted their first 'Death Before Dishonour' trophy at Pier 1 Montego Bay, St. James, before a massive audience just past dawn on Tuesday, beating Bass Odyssey soundly by six to one in the fifth and final 'dub for dub' round. The sound clash was not, however, without its mishaps and dramas, as Bass Odyssey's ace selector Squingy took a tumble from the stage rigging to the ground about 15 feet below and was toted away by an ambulance.
And a couple bottles, apparently from disgruntled Silver Star fans after the 'Death Before Dishonour' debutantes were eliminated in the fourth round, sent a part of the audience near the large stage scampering and the put the clash on hold briefly.
Mighty crown grabs hold
It was in that fourth round that Mighty Crown really took hold of the clash, after Canadian entrants Black Reaction were sent packing in the round before. First to be eliminated was David Rodigan in the second round, who skipped his arsenal of dub plates to start with Peter Hunningale singing Natural Mystic to open and Albarosie from Italy to end, saying "thank you Montego Bay" in a tone that suggested that he was willing to drop out.
The five sound systems played rounds of 15 minutes each, eliminations being done by a show of hands starting from the second round, with the final pair going for the best of 11 dub plates each.
Silver Star's partisan support was evident from their names were mentioned by hosts Jabba and Chin, the latter of the clash promotion team Irish and Chin, as a crowd of Jamaican-flag toting supporters gathered front and centre and stayed there to cheer for Silver Star through three rounds of insults, mostly hard-core deejay dub plates and very strong language from all save Rodigan.
Squingy, whose non-appearance with Bass Odyssey had been a talking point until he appeared in full West Indies cricket gear in the second round, went for his customary killing perch high in the rigging in the third round and fell to the ground, reassuring all that he was OK although he lay there for some minutes before being taken away to hospital. Damian stepped up front to complete the round for Bass Odyssey.
The tone and tunes of the clash changed as Silver Star came out for the decisive fourth round at 4:30 a.m. with dub plates from Third World (96 Degrees in the Dancehall), Ziggy Marley, Marcia Griffiths (Feel Like Jumping) and Toots Hibbert. There was a pause for a Squingy cause before Mighty Crown played, the selector saying "me no buy out crowd like Silver Star" before dropping Jah Cure's 'Love Is The Solution' on dub plate, following with 'One Blood' and Jimmy Cliff singing "many sound boys will fall" to a thunderous forward. "Me no buy forward!" the selector said.
And when Beenie Man chanted "Silver Star no bad like me bl...c...t Tims" Pier 1 exploded.
Admiral Tibbet announced "Bass Odyssey is a serious sound" and King Kong intoned "trouble again"; when Sizzla delivered 'Holding Firm' on dub plate Pier 1 trembled.
There was a roar as Silver Star was voted out by a show of hands, but the first of two bottles aimed at the stage came after Mighty Crown and Bass Odyssey had each played their first song in the tune for tune segment.
Silver Star's selector came on stage to say "me no know who a fling de bottle", but still appeal for peace. And a man with a bag slung over his arm by a short strap came on stage to point into the crowd, called two people by name and ordered that the clash be allowed to continue. "Anything me say goes!" he said.
The clash resumed, Bass Odyssey taking the first exchange by show of hands, but it was their one strong moment, as Mighty Crown went six straight, including a 'burial' tune in the fourth round, to take the 'Death Before Dishonour' title, as boos went up for Bass Odyssey's later dub plates at Pier 1.
Bass Odyssey's Squingy falls at 'Death Before Dishonour'
Bass Odyssey's ace selector Squingy came on stage in a full West Indies cricket outfit at 'Death Before Dishonour 2007', held at Pier 1, Montego Bay, St. James, for the second round of music from the five competing sound systems to cheers early Tuesday morning. However, in the next round, as he climbed the rigging next to the stage to take his customary high perch to choreograph the delivery of deadly dub plates, Squingy fell to the ground and broke at least a leg, lying there for some minutes as the clash continued, until an ambulance came to transport him to hospital.
Keith Walford, owner of Bass Odyssey, said Squingy broke his left ankle and wrist and his left shoulder was dislocated. He will have to undergo surgery. However, Walford said there were no indications of internal injuries to the selector, who is now in the Cornwall Regional Hospital.
"Apart from that he is in fairly good spirits," Walford said. "We still have to give thanks. When we saw him coming down we thought he would have had more injuries or even died."
Squingy fell close to some long metal pins which are used to anchor the rigging and Walford said "he claims he saw the pins and twisted his body around them".
The fall came when Squingy, after climbing the metal support to the left of the stage (facing it), attempted to go to the section across the top. He swung by his hands for a split second before falling feet first, the right side of his body hitting two lights as he tumbled over 15 feet to the ground below.
"Whe a ambulance deh? Lef foot bruck!" a selector from Bass Odyssey said. Organisers and selectors gathered on stage to look down at the injured Squingy, demanding persons in the VIP area to stop crowding him and those pressing against the separating fence to step back.
And Squingy announced "I want the people to know I am OK".
A selector explained the fall by saying "is a shock come up desso. Him get electrocuted an' drop. A real ting. Me no want nobody tek dis fe joke. Is a electric wire shock de man."
But the engineer took offence, saying "de man no get electrocuted. Him drop off. Yu a chat f." "Arright engineer, easy," somebody said, but he would not be shushed. "But yu a spread rumours," he insisted.
Jabba, who co-hosted the clash with Chin, said "mek we move on nuh. We nah go stay all night long an' get frustrated - De man no dead." And he demanded that some of those pressing for a look "ease up de fence please." There were also instructions that no one should take pictures.
"I just spoke to Bass Odyssey. They are going to continue the round. We just want to make sure he is OK," Chin said.
And before the music continued there was an explanation from the fallen Squingy, who said "me want oonu know sey when me go up desso while a go suppen shock me. Nutten no wrong wid dat. So de business go. If me have a bruck han an foot, de party haffi gwaan. Leggo de clash. Mek de clash gwaan, cause de trophy haffi stay yasso," he said.
Bass Odyssey continued, as did the vote to eliminate Black Reaction, Silver Star playing their fourth round as an ambulance, red lights flashing, waited near to Squingy. It left just before Mighty Crown played.
And, as Jabba had requested, "we no want no selector come up ya come dis the programme. We a keep it real."
"Da part a de dance me feel it. Big up all soun' man, but yu have some icon, who 10 years from now you will remember people who make this thing. Squingy never had to come here to play tonight," Chin said to cheers. "He came out and he made an effort. Dem yute deh buil' de ting. Widdout dem yute we woulden deh ya," Chin said, to applause
No title defence from Ricky Trooper
Traditionally, the reigning champion of 'Death Before Dishonour' is the last of the five sound systems to play in the current contest.
However, on Easter Monday at Pier 1, Montego Bay it was Bass Odyssey who went last by the luck of the draw, not the 2006 champion Ricky Trooper by right.
Before the clash started, Chin of the event's production team Irish and Chin, explained to the audience that "Trooper gave us a price that is unfair to everyone on the stage. He overpriced himself out of World Clash. No disrespect to Ricky Trooper, but certain tings we cyaan condone in the business. An we naa mek true one man de clash no gwaan. Big up Ricky Trooper anyweh him stan up, but de clash haffi gwaan".
David Rodigan, playing his first round, after dropping 'Traffic Jam' on dub plate and a Junior Reid and Baby Cham combination that rocked Pier 1, said "Trooper. You are the World Champion Trooper. You must defend your title. If you are here, come on stage and defend your title. I respect you as a selector".
In their first round, Bass Odyssey's selector Worm said to the audience "Trooper, him no rate oonu. Tell him fi shim mumma", before dropping a Mavado dub plate that Odyssey "kill dem pon de war side" that ripped up the house.
In their second round, Mighty Crown said "last year we give it to Ricky Trooper. Where is f......g Trooper", before dropping Tarrus Riley on dub plate with an adjustment to his remake of Stay With You, singing "las' year them give Ricky Trooper/him no deh ya dis year ya/he don't care for you/Mighty Crown will play for you". It was not their final dig at the missing champion, as two dubs later Beenie Man demanded "why Ricky Trooper run from de war?/how Black Reaction get inna de war?"
And Squingy, when he came out for Bass Odyssey's second round, said "hey Ricky Trooper, go syu mumma. Yu no waan defen' yu trophy, 'cause yu know Squingy would step inna yu face".
Berichte von Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Bericht bei Jamaica Star