Beenie Man – De Gal Dem Sugah
Posted on 01. Jan, 2010 by admin in Arts and Culture, Music, Style
By David Clodomir
Years ago, I once tried to convince my mother that “How the World a Run” by Buju Banton was a gospel song. The man was talking about ending war, violence, hunger, praising God, and coming together as one people. But Buju is the same guy who also sang “…Shorts hitch up pon yuh saddle, ride up pon yuh back, exposin yuh property, man a seh it fat”.
Roots & Culture…conscious chunes (tunes) versus the “slackness” that is also very much a part of reggae’s musical DNA was a subject that I had a chance to touch on with Beenie Man after a performance at Club Zanzibar during Howard University’s homecoming.
“Im di girls dem sugar dats all, welcome di king of di dancehall!” These are lyrics from the chorus of Beenie’s hit “King of the Dancehall.” A bold proclamation, but it’s arguably a statement of fact, and there are very few who could enter the debate. Born Anthony Moses Davis in Kingston, Jamaica, Beenie Man started performing at the age of 5, in 1978. Talent contests in Jamaica back then were like American Idol and Star Search put together – without the millions of dollars, nationwide broadcasts, and Simon Cowell. But Jamaicans are nothing if not a resourceful people and the word quickly spread about this wonder-child taking the reggae scene by storm in dancehall’s infancy.
Fast forward 20 years or so, and the boy is now a man with his star on the rise, beginning with his work at Shocking Vibes Studio and later with producers like Sly and Robbie. For a decade Beenie Man played a major part in shaping the world’s reggae dancehall experience with hits like “Girls Dem Sugar,” “Romie,” “Slam,” “World Dance,” “Who Am I,” “Oysters and Conch,” “Steve Biko,” “Bookshelf,” and more. In 2000 Beenie Man won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for “Art & Life.”
Thirty years deep in the business, Beenie is still a major force on the dancehall scene and this was clearly evidenced at Club Zanzibar the night we spoke. The audience simply could not get enough as he dropped hit after hit. He took us on a ride through his classics and brought us all the way up to 2009, even giving us some bits from his album — dropping this December.
Standing stage side at Zanzibar I found myself fighting off women who were trying to move me out of the way – just so they could reach and maybe touch the hem of his jeans. The crowd was simply beside itself. He talked to them. He chanted for them. He sang for them. He danced for them. He gave them the full package. I should really say “us,” because although I wasn’t reaching for his pant leg, I was a fan just like everyone else. This Haitian Brooklyn boy who grew up on Shabba Ranks, Buju, Terror Fabulous, Red Fox…and riddims like Punaany, Mudd Up, Heartbeat and Pepperseed, was on a stage, taking photos of Beenie Man, and preparing to interview him on camera.
Click the video to see an excerpt of my interview…
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