On Labor Day eve, hundreds of Soca and Dancehall fans painted the city red as another one of
New York
City’s biggest venues opened
its doors to several of the Caribbean’s greatest artists.
Hosted by Upscale Crowd Entertainment and Caribbean Fuse, the event was deemed the biggest and hottest
show hosted for Labor Day Weekend. Soca king Machel Montano and Dancehall icon Serani, along with
various Soca artists from St.
Lucia and
Trinidad, graced the Roseland Ballroom stage in pre-celebration of the West
Indian Parade in Brooklyn.
Also branded as ‘The King of Soca Appreciation
Concert,’ the night sought to showcase Machel Montano as one of the most extraordinary Soca
entertainers of this time. The entry line wrapped around the corner of the venue, music lovers
representing many different islands. The excitement was evident!
Throughout the
night, the DJs kept the energy of the crowd on a high, playing a brilliant mix of Reggae, Hip-Hop, and
Soca. The dance floor and the VIP area were jam-packed from end-to-end with people
enjoying the vibes and anticipating the show.
The first artist to hit the stage for the
evening was Serani who performed hits such as ‘No Games’ and ‘She Loves Me.’ With constant vitality flowing from the stage into the crowd, it
was not a difficult task for him to keep the party attendees engaged in him and his performance. Fans
sang along, riff for riff, as if they were an immediate part of the show.
Between the
night’s major performances, the promoters introduced various new artists from around the
Caribbean. Annoyed party goers made it apparent that they were ready to get on
with the show. Irritated ‘boos’ rang out through the crowd during all but one the
performances. Afterwards, promoters went on stage to endorse a rising artist, lobbing flyers and CDs
into the crowd.
Antigua’s acclaimed Soca band Red Hot Flames was originally scheduled to
perform at the event but was not present. No explanation was given as to why the band did not show.
Disappointed Antiguans & Barbudans complained amongst themselves about the absence of the band, but
this letdown quickly subsided when it was announced that Machel Montano would be next to appear on
stage.
The crowd roared with excitement and a sudden wave of energy struck the
Ballroom. Machel Montano, along with HD
Family member Farmer Nappy, made a dynamic entrance onto the stage decked out in a black jacket,
white button-up shirt, neck tie and jeans. He performed most of his past and current hits including
‘One More Time,’ ‘We Won’t Stop,’ ‘Defense,’ ‘Dance
with You,’ “Craziness,” ‘Scandalous,’ and ‘Push Bumpers.’
With a face towel draped over his shoulder, his energy was a sure crowd-pleaser. The first lady of the
HD family, Patrice Roberts, was absent from this performance, but Machel sang some of her tunes. Later
on in the show, Farmer Nappy engaged the crowd with a few hits including his 2008 tune
‘Chippin’.
The two HD performers set the crowd in motion!
People participated in the excitement when Machel pointed his finger and instructed the mass to
“guh so” and rush different sides of the dance floor. From start to finish, revelers
relished in the spirit of the fete, as the red theme seemed to reflect the fervor and intensity of the
night.
In addition to Outrageous in Red on Sunday night, the Roseland Ballroom
hosted another major event during the Labor Day weekend. On the Saturday night prior to this event,
Dancehall icons Beenie Man and Bounty Killa put on an explosive performance at the same venue. The dual
event was promoted as ‘The Best of Both Worlds’, powered by Upscale
Entertainment.
