“Oh how I missed those days. Remember the song…use to make you rock away? Those were the days….”

The man who drew inspiration from listening to his dad’s collection of Sam Cooke, Ottis Redding and others brought us back to the days of old last night at the Seminole Hard rock.

As a young girl growing up in Jamaica, I enjoyed listening to Romantic Lovers Rock music and Beres Hammond was of course my favorite.

To many outside the Caribbean community who may not be familiar with Lovers Rock; it is the alternate to R & B and soul music originating in Jamaica. It is soul music done with hoarse vocals.

Last night he sounded no different than he did 15 years ago. His performance started backstage as he waited for  a minor technical glitch to resolve; the show must go on.

There was a screaming audience of hungry women as the King of Lovers Rock entered the stage.

“I love you, Beres!” echoed through the room as he ska-ed his way on stage.

It is quite amazing that after all these years years of performing live, Beres is consistent in performance and form. He was able to maintain a strong and lively vocal balance.

As expected he kept the momentum of the crowd going by offering them what they wanted. He sang several fast ballads, carried on with his usual antics on stage, his fancy foot works or dance moves as fans sing along to celebrated hits, including “Double Trouble”, “Putting Up Resistance”, “Tempted to Touch,” “Sweet Lies,” “Can You Play Some More? (Pull Up),” among others. He was so entertaining on stage at one point he kicked his shoe off. An audience member assisted him in putting it back on. It’s always a delight to watch him perform.

So why do we love Beres? He makes us feel good, and he did just that. Listening to him dissolves the pain, stress and frustrations from our lives, if only for a moment.

You would have to be a bore to sit through the entire performance of a Beres concert. The minute he came on stage the audience rose to their feet, and the women moved closer to the stage reaching for a piece of Beres. They remained that way for the entire performance.

After about 45 minutes of  high excitement on stage, he took a moment to lament on the political climate and bad press the island Jamaica received recently. He also reminded us, “It was just a small fraction…”

“Buju and I have something in common…,” With those words he began “Can You Play Some More? (Pull Up)“, Culture’s son, Kenyatta came on stage with a wicked imitation of Buju Banton. The audience screamed for more.

No Grammy awards, no international accolades, however Hammond remains a true Reggae Icon; the most consistent Reggae artist of his kind. His soul infused vocals, melodies and timeless style will continue to melt women hearts with “sweetness.”

Side Notes:

The two (2) months “For the Love of It” North American tour featuring Beres Hammond, Inner Circle, Lenya Wilks and Kenyatta Hill made a stop at the Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida.

Lenya Wilks, a new and upcoming artist opened the show with a smoother version of Lovers Rock. The audience was receptive to her performance especially her new hit, “Fly” which seemed familiar.

Kenyatta Hill, the son of the late Joseph ‘Culture’ Hill followed with his militant style performance. He was fun to watch as he reminded me of Buju Banton. Buju was in the house (for a moment).

Inner Circle, well known for their international hits “Bad Boy” and “Sweat” continues to deliver the true sound of Jamaican music.

Comments:

Very good concert.

Alecia, Miramar, Florida

Very good show….one in a million. I can’t get enough of Beres, I flew to Jamaica just to see him in concert.

Erline, North Lauderdale, Florida.

Great. First time seeing Beres live and I love it. I can’t believe I am not listening to the cd.

Tiffany, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.