Bounty addresses role of technology in live music

While the artiste line-up for last Saturday’s Sashi Live at Plantation Cove in St Ann featured heavy-hitting international acts and the new generation of dancehall artistes, also billed was Bounty Killer, a worlwide legend in reggae and dancehall who would have been present for, and instrumental in, the original rise of large-scale music festivals locally.

A standout moment during the festival was his performance, which opened the block of Jamaican entertainment for the evening.

The Living Dangerously deejay’s entrance to the stage was marked by much fanfare, as the crowd, many of whom would be hard-pressed to see the highly in-demand artiste perform today, was beside themselves to see him sing hits such as It’s a Party, Look and, of course, his recent anthem featuring entertainers Dexta Daps and Cham. As Killer reiterated throughout his set, in his signature aggressive toast style, ‘90s badness was in the house.

Bounty Killer’s extended performance on stage no doubt left Sashi attendees short of breath from the singing and dancing along, but the Cellular Phone deejay noted, during his performance and in a post-stage interview, the role and effects of technology in live music spaces today. According to him, fans are less present in the moment because of their focus on capturing it, even as the need for live experiences and original excitement during the events persist.

“Well, the most difference [between shows now and then] is that people hold up their phone instead of [being in the moment]. They will scream, but they hold up the phone mostly. [Back then] we never had much things to distract us and the momentum was a little greater, but people still love music, people still pay them money to come.”

Speaking about if devices take away from the overall experience of the artiste and audience, Bounty Killer continued, “[Shows] looked more exciting on camera when you watch back in the day than today. So, that’s the only difference. They will get back in the momentum when they get used to their phone, because their phone probably all cost $500,000, they don’t jump too much with it. But they still scream, they still have fun. As I said, the people are enjoying themselves.”

Bounty Killer is happy to have joined ranks with the list of artistes at The Sashi Experience’s 2024 return, as this would be his first time on the music festival’s stage, despite Sashi being around in his performing heyday.

“This is my first time performing at Sashi, but I’ve watched the show and I’ve been to the concert before. It was a great vibe for me, and we took [attendees] back down memory lane with a great ‘90s vibe. That’s exactly what I do. I’m one of the giants of the ‘90s and if I’m going to perform, 75 per cent of the songs are going to be from the ‘90s, and then maybe 25 per cent current because I’m still recording, but it’s still don’t great like the ‘90s’ ones.”

The last time the Sashi Experience, previously one of Jamaica’s most anticipated, large-scale music festivals, was held was 2002. Twenty-two years later, founder Horatio Hamilton brought it back to take place in Plantation Cove, St Ann, as a three-day event, promising to wow patrons with grand affairs centring Sashi Live, the stage show that was to boast giants in the music industry, both local and international. Performing on Saturday were Ne-Yo, Wyclef and Jadakiss alongside Bounty Killer, Tifa, Najeerii, Valiant, Skeng and Tommy Lee Sparta.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com