Reggae "Icons" Buju Banton, Super Cat and Barrington Levy are not exactly the perfect lineup for your mama on Mother's Day. Billed as "The Ultimate Mother's Day Show," the jampacked theater at the famed Madison Square Garden was in for a treat however when romantic crooner Wayne Wonder made a surprise appearance at the highly anticipated "Icons" concert on Saturday, May 10. Buju_Wayne.jpgIn town for two shows this past weekend, Wonder first balanced out the program, performing along with Tony Matterhorn on Friday night at Baruch College in Manhattan. Then after wooing the ladies at MSG on Saturday evening, he made another featured appearance in Brooklyn, officially bringing in Mother's Day with some of his longtime supporters. Wonder has been consistently touring since the release of his album, FOREVA, back in September, and a return to the New York scene is more of a welcome home for the singer, who first called the Big Apple home after relocating from Jamaica. The "Icons" show at MSG was not without its hitches, as numerous members of the audience prematurely departed the venue after Super Cat hit the stage at the end of the show, mouthing off opinions they obviously disagreed with. However the surprise guests, including Wonder, Tarrus Riley who also brought the house down after Banton's set, and a sneak attack of dancehall's newest star Erup right before Cat's set, all served up a memorable time for patrons. So even though initially billed as a Mother's Day show, the ladies in attendance were definitely pleased if the screams that welcomed Wonder's surprise set in the middle of Banton's act was any indication. Backed up by Banton's Shiloh band, it seemed like time froze as Wayne and Buju took the audience down memory lane with the eternal "Forever Young," and their hit duet "Bonafide Love," which was one of the few times the entire audience sang along, screaming word for word, then erupted into an uproar when Wonder and Banton switched roles, with Banton singing and Wonder chatting, bringing out his alter ego deejay Surpriz. Show promoter Dahved Levy says there is always a surprise in store for the audience at his shows. "My favorite moment is when I first walked onto the stage and saw the beautifully dressed Caribbean people packing the Garden up to the rafters," says Levy. He recently put on a soca extravaganza with Machel Montano and friends back in March. With the promised reggae icons and the ones who showed up, this show indeed turned into the ultimate Mother's Day show.

and i miss that

ALIE