Afrobeats move Kensington Oval

FOR the first time in the history of entertainment in Barbados, an African artist was one of the headline acts of a show.

Adedeji Adeleke, better known as “Davido”, is currently taking the world by storm as one of the kings of Afrobeats and Afro fusion and on Saturday night at the Hennessy Artistry show held at the Kensington Oval his smooth vocals backed by infectious rhythms made it impossible to stand still even if some of the lyrics were not fully known or understood by the audience.

Some of his die-hard fans were seen singing word for word as the Nigerian singer performed some of his many hits taking over the global stage including “Fall”, “Risky” and “Aye”. He also thrilled his fans with “Assurance”, a song which links Barbados with Davido who shot his music video on the island last year.

Also singing before a noticeably smaller Artistry crowd was Dexta Daps, an obvious favourite of the ladies. He somehow managed to pull off a sultry yet high energy performance as showed off his vocal skills crooning hits such as “7Eleven”, and of course the insanely popular “Shabba Madda Pot”.

With calls for new artists being made annually for the show, patrons were anxious to see what Masika brought to the table. His performance, though lukewarm at times, was still well-received by the audience particularly his performance of “They Don’t Know”. He also joined Dexta Daps on stage as they performed their hit “Leader” to bring the show to a close, just before 4 am.

Arguably, how well the audience knew the artistes and their music appeared to be a major determinant in how they reacted to their performance and overall perception of the show.

Bringing consistent quality performances to Barbados were Tarrus Riley and Anthony B, the latter replacing Sizzla on the card, as he was involved in a motorcycle accident in his home town Jamaica, and was unable to travel to Barbados.

Local acts, including Edwin Yearwood, Hypa Sounds and Leadpipe, though short, made sure that the stage was ready for the regional and international acts to the delight of those who made it to the show early.

Deejays Jon Doe, Bard Int’l and DJ Indian kept the energy up between sets. DJ Puffy played a set for the “90s babies” which turned the Oval into a house party. He was joined by emcee on the night Majah Hype who pleasantly surprised the audience with his vocal ability. (JH)