Khago

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival Song Competition was once the stomping ground of the most popular Jamaican entertainers, whose performances and recordings transcended the time and space of the contest. However, the Festival Song days of Toots and the Maytals and The Jamaicans, among others, have long faded with even the contest's recent winners failing to garner a wide, loyal listenership even during the season.

So Khago's Reggae Sumfest debut was striking not only because the relative newcomer's good delivery, stage movement and transition between songs deservedly struck home with the huge Dancehall Night audience, but also because of his JCDC contest background. Khago entered the contest twice. He placed third and also won Best Video in 2006 with Only if You Know and improved to second place in 2007 with 'Been There'.

On last Thursday's Dancehall Night Khago came on after Voicemail's emotional performance and there was a buzz of welcome for him. He opened with Cyaan Cool for the first thunderous crowd response of the night. Then, asking those at Sumfest who have a true friend to put up their hands, he declared "nah sell out me fren dem", again to a rapturous response.

"A six year me a wait fe Sumfest! From yu done informer go so!" Khago demanded, indicating the required action and many persons in the crowd following.

He turned his attention to the women with the uptempo 'Fresh and Clean', taking a seat to inform more calmly "you make me see Zion". The cougars in the audience may have been satisfied when Khago paid homage to the 'Big Woman' and he closed his Sumfest debut with the tribute to his father, Daddy From You Gone. However, he adjusted a line for the occasion, intoning a gritty "so me go a Sumfest pon a big bad riddim ...", closing off a strong debut on the festival.