Magnum GT Taylor Reggae Extravaganza – Not a musical experience, but the complete entertainment package

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Reggae Extravaganza delivered on its promise to provide a complete highly energised entertainment package when the annual event took over Independence Park in Black River, St Elizabeth on Christmas Day.

The massive crowd that gathered for the show made it known very early that they would not be easy to please, and that the acts to grace the stage would have to ‘come good’, and several acts did just that. George Nooks grooved the venue which, by police estimates was filled with “thousands”, with smooth sounding lyrics. Leroy Sibbles also ignited ‘The Vintage Set’, delivering several hits making it seem that the big time acts had lost no lustre in their step, since they first burst on the scene many years ago.

St Elizabeth native Terry Linen got screams of the ladies, and perhaps the hard to please crowd, had begun to loosen up when he touched the stage. Linen spent about 15 minutes making Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Reggae Extravaganza rock from side to side, belting out his own tunes, and songs like R Kelly’s The World’s Greatest. When he was called back for not one, but two encores, Terry Linen cemented his ‘forward’ when he began crooning his hit, No Time To Linger.

The quartet LUST, an act which is always a pleasure to watch, also delivered in St Elizabeth. The energy among the four man group was flawless, and of course, that helped get them the love and approval of the hard to please crowd. Well, their singing cabernet-style, and throwing in their own hit single Just As I Am in a set that will linger in the minds of everyone present for a long time to come.

A few billed acts did not turn up to the event and promoter GT Taylor apologetic of the absences promises to work hard in 2009 to prevent these occurrences. “The absence of some top acts was unexpected and unfortunate, In particular Vibes Kartel and Bounty Killa, was certainly beyond my control, and I apologise to all who turned out to support the event. We had a good time but I promise that come next year i have to go the extra mile to avoid a repeat of this,” said GT.

GT Aggregation came with high energy giving patrons a nice party vibe. With so many top acts on the line-up, band changes were in order, and during that time, the World Immortal Stone Love rocked the venue with Fire Ras as the toaster, and Dwayne Pow – son of Stone Love founder Winston ‘Wee Pow’ Powell – on the wheels of steel. The audience didn’t miss a beat.

Dancehall artiste Kiprich brought the venue squarely into 2008, with his usual ‘raeee’ vybe and energy, and Stacious certainly turned up the hotness quotient with her ‘goodas’ aura.

The man with the ‘Cyaan cool’ fire, Chuck Fenda spread that fire even further when he stepped on stage. The Herbalist Farmer burned Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza, and the audience loved it. There was also a bit of excitement when dancehall princess Spice walked on-stage. She let it be known that she was ready to work for her forward, and she did. The deejay even showed the audience “a different side of Spice”, when she sang.

Brand Manager for Magnum Gary Dixon backstage with Tarrus Riley after his performance at the Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza.
Tarrus Riley was the definition of excellent. The reggae balladeer is a true entertainer, as he engaged the audience with energy like only he could provide. Belting out songs from his hit album, Parables and treating St Elizabeth to some new singles, before ending his set with a voice-saxophone tete-a-tete with legendary musician and producer Dean Fraser got Tarrus an encore which he used to perform his runaway single, Start Anew.

And then, there was the show closer. The self proclaimed King of the Dancehall, Beenie Man was his usual, vibrant, “zagga” self. Flanked by the beautiful Magnum vixens Beenie Man took the venue on a roller coaster ride with tunes from back in the day, to present times… and there is no doubt that the dancehall chart topper made St Elizabeth forget that the sun was now up, and beaming brightly on the show that started about 10 hours before. Other acts that rocked the stage included Bugle, Mavado, Mykal Rose, Jigsy King, Ninja Man, and D’Angel.

The Magnum girls on stage entertaining the crowd with the latest dance moves at the Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza.
The Magnum GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza, complete with top notch dancehall and reggae artistes, the world immortal stone love, energetic, vibrant Magnum girls, talented musicians, was not only a musical experience, but was definitely a shining example of a complete entertainment package.