Best of The Best Concert 2011 Miami Florida

This past Sunday, May 29, the 2011 BEST OF THE BEST concert took Miami by storm.  This event is held every year on Memorial Day weekend and features the BEST reggae artists in the world!  The lineup for 2011 featured some heavy hitters like Tarrus Riley, Romain Virgo, I-Octane, Demarco, and Vybz Kartel, to name a few.  Thousands of reggae fans from all over the U.S. and abroad were in attendance—this show was a HUGE deal.

 I made the trip down to Miami with my two best friends, Sharon and Sheena.  We were some of the first people to enter the venue and took our time to check things out.  The stage was ENORMOUS, with a massive jumbotron-type screen for live playback footage of the artists.  Several colorful vendors of Caribbean cuisine, clothing, jewelry, and souvenirs lined the grounds.  Slowly but surely, thousands and thousands of spectators filed into Bicentennial Park to create a huge party with a distinct island feel. 

 Sharon and Sheena found the VIP area, a grassy area to the right and front of the stage with a great view, cushy benches for lounging, and an open bar.  My time was divided between shooting artists at the stage-front and in the press tent, and hanging out with the girls in VIP.

 The show started off upbeat with rising stars like Ft. Lauderdale’s Ruff Kut Krew and Jamaica’s Richie Loop, both of which have a blend of dancehall and hip hop styles.  Next, one of my favorite artists, Gappy Ranks from London took stage accompanied by a selector (reggae dj who plays instrumental riddims for the artists to sing over).  His deep, smooth voice and calm but powerful stage presence was awesome and he performed one of my favorites, a lover’s rock type tune called “Heaven in Her Eyes.”

 Jamaican icon Romain Virgo took the stage soon after.  I was definitely looking forward to seeing him live, and he did NOT disappoint!  Virgo began his rise to fame after winning the Digicel Rising Stars competition (Jamaica’s version of American Idol) in 2007, at age 17.  Since then, he has put out several chart-topping singles such as  “Mi Caan Sleep,” “Love Doctor,” “Who Feels It Knows It,” and my personal favorite, “I Am Rich in Love,” released earlier this year.  He sung all of his popular singles as well as doing a cover of Busy Signal’s “Government Gone Luu.”  Romain did not win a singing competition for no reason—the kid has some SERIOUS pipes that we got to witness first-hand!  Besides his incredibly powerful and passionate voice, his stage presence was very energetic and suave… the ladies in the crowd were loving it when he turned his “sexy” on while crooning out love tunes.

 It was cool to meet Romain in the press tent, get some good shots, and even a cool video clip where he sings about SURF GURU!  Clip coming soon J

 It’s hard to follow an act like Romain Virgo, but for long-time international reggae stars Etana and Tarrus Riley, it was a walk in the park.  These two had no trouble endearing themselves to the crowd.  While Virgo is a raucous powerhouse kind of a singer, both Etana and Tarrus’s voices are as sweet as sugar and very smooth.  I loved Etana’s performance of her hit single “Blessings.”

 Tarrus Riley’s performance was an event unto itself.  He had a HUGE fan base at Bicentennial Park, and the crowd was absolutely enamored with his entire show.  Tarrus was awarded a longer set than most of the other artists due to his popularity and respect.  He performed several of his greatest hits, like “Superman,” “She’s Royal,” “Love’s Contagious,” and, my favorite, the newer single “Never Leave I.”  He performed with a live band and had a super charismatic stage presence, stopping often to talk to the audience and getting them singing along.  Us three girls agreed that he was our favorite performer of the day.

 As the sun set, the vibe went a bit more gritty with some big dancehall artists taking the stage.  I had listened to Jamaica’s I-Octane plenty of times before but did not realize how huge a following he had until he went on.  The crowd of thousands of people went absolutely nuts for him!  Octane has unique, raspy vocals and while his lyrics are considered more cultural rather than dancehall (a good comparison would be comparing conscious hip-hop to gangsta rap), the sound reminded me more of that of a dancehall artist.  He did a great rendition of his hit single “My Life,” which was the highlight for me.

 Assassin and Demarco also played quick sets due to a time crunch--the star of the night was ready to go on via satellite from Jamaica.  It was “The Teacher” himself, the infamous Vybz Kartel!  Kartel is to Jamaican dancehall music as what like Tupac was to American hip hop—an artist at the top of the scene but not without a thuggish image and some enemies.  While I mentioned before that I-Octane had conscious lyrics, Kartel is known for his dirty lyrics.  He pushes the envelope in the name of artistry because he can—he is truly a talented musician and well-respected in the dancehall scene. 

 The satellite feed played on the jumbotron, featuring Kartel in a non-descript brown suit, tie, and shades, with a posse of adoring females in the background.  They appeared to be hanging out on a balcony that could have been attached to a motel.  It was an odd setting, but the Teacher played a cool and steady performance that the crowd was living for—this was probably the most I saw the crowd really dancing and shouting.  I mean, this guy is a huge deal for a lot of the islanders and dancehall fans present at the show.

 Big guns Damien and Stephen Marley closed the show with hits like “The Mission,” “Welcome to Jamrock,” and “Mind Control.”  The sons of legendary Bob Marley are pros and never fail to deliver a tight performance.

 At that point, us three girls had to call it a night!  We had been going non-stop since the morning road trip to Miami and were worn out from all the fun.  We met a ton of cool people from all over… including New York, Jamaica, Trinidad, Atlanta, and other parts of Florida.  I had a great time meeting members of the press and watching them film live television, radio, and webcast shows, not to mention meeting the artists themselves!  Miami is the perfect place for such an international event, and I am so glad I got to experience it this year.  You know where to find me Memorial Day next year—I’ll be at BEST OF THE BEST 2012 in Miami...Courtney
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