Collie Buddz arrived today on the same flight as reggae performers Pressure and Duane Stephenson. Pressure and Stephenson will perform alongside Munga Honorable who arrived this afternoon for tomorrow’s Reggae Fest at the MCC Grounds. It is the biggest concert of the year and also the most talked about because of security concerns. But those aren’t concerns at all to Munga, who is right now the hottest thing in dancehall. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
“Bad from Mi Born” are the four words that propelled Munga Honourable to international stardom – which is he’ll be the main performer at tomorrow night’s reggae fest.
Munga, Performing Saturday
“Me dah the gangsta, my name is damian – Munga Honourable, Don Coreleone Productions, bad from mi born, hold yuh in my arms, and the list goes on. I am humble youth, you dun know we dah artist, we dah star so we bring entertainment to the people. Selassie first.”
Keith Swift,
You rose to the top pretty quickly, tell us what that was like?
Munga,
“It seem quickly to you maybe but then it is a growth process because before that we were recording, before even you know about me I was recording. When I got the opportunity to make my first break, Don Corleone Records riddim ‘Sweat’ in 2005, in the year, I just made use of the opportunity. The song was a hit song and then I brought the flavour, the image, the current, everything – the energy. Follow ups came; ‘flipping rhymes,’ ‘in my arms,’ ‘Babylon can’t hold me down no not at all,’ so we just keep on going.”
Keith Swift,
You write your songs?
Munga,
“Most definitely, each line, each word, and it is all influenced by my surrounding, whose around me, what I see going on in the society and internationally.”
Before Munga, lover’s rock crooners Duane Stephenson and pressure will
hit the stage – sharing music and their messages of peace.
Duane Stephenson, Performing at Reggae Fest
“This is Duane Stephenson and it is a blessing for me to be invited here because I heard about Belize from one of my brethrens who came here already and I am really looking forward to it and I am here to make the best of it. You can expect great things because I will sing to the people that have been supporting my music, show them some love, a little of the love that they have been showing to me and everything and I am energized, I am ready to go, so it is going to be a great show.”
Pressure, Performing at Reggae Fest
“Belize this is Pressure live and in living colour, here for the first
time, big respect, one love. ‘Nuff conscious music, nuff positive music in the lyrics especially. You dun know it is about the message in the music and of course enough love and affection for the ladies so ladies come out and enjoy yourself and don’t worry about anything, you know what I mean because you dun know you are secure, Pressure is here live and in living color so one love to all.”
All three will perform here at the MCC Ground. It’s was just grass today but tomorrow there will be a stage and an unprecedented presence of police and BDF.
Troy “DJ Dalla” Flowers, Promoter
“Security won’t be a reason. Usually for a concert of this magnitude we usually get about thirty with police officers and BDF. This show will have 65 to assure the Belizean people that the show will be safe. Security doubled and we have other security other than that, our personal security that will also be working with the security.”
And if you don’t believe DJ Dalla, take it from Munga himself.
Munga,
“Hear what happen now, don’t get intimidated – nothing can’t violate that show. Promotion well connected so you hear how the thing start out, security tight, you feel, so no intimidation, just turn out and watch the performances – Munga Honourable, Pressure, Duane Stephenson, beautiful Melonie. It is the Munga Honourable…”
And as we reported, Munga, Duane Stephenson, and Pressure will share the spotlight tomorrow with Belizean Melonie Gillett who will perform her hit “rush” at midnight. Again there will be 65 security personnel at the MCC. There will be a change in venue if there is the threat of rain.
