Review
Publication date : Monday, June 16th 2008 - 28 037 views Reggae Live Tour #2
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Passing through Paris after starting out in Strasbourg, the second edition of the Reggae Live Tour arrives in the capital with one of the best selling points of the year: Jah Cure's first French tour. With Luciano as well, but in the end without Beres Hammond and Queen Ifrica, replaced at the last minute by Ras Shiloh and Marcia Griffiths respectively. The Zénith is packed to the rafters: Reggae Live Tour 2 has just kicked off the summer festivals.
 RAS SHILOH
For once, you could not afford to be late at the Zénith. A last-minute guest forced to open the show, Ras Shiloh starts right on time. As a result, the New Yorker made his return to France in front of a sparse crowd, delivering a performance that was unfortunately too short but intense, his powerful singing backed by the jerks of his trembling hand. His commitment did not leave the Zénith unmoved, receptive from his successful opening on an expected tribute to Garnett Silk (Kingly character). The first surge from the crowd of the night is of course for Onto Zion on the Mount Zion riddim so dear to Capleton, and the next for Are you satisfied. It is undeniably his hit, and he knows how to press where it counts. A pity he does not go further, it is already time for Tarrus Riley.
 TARRUS RILEY
Along with Beres Hammond, he was among the artists many had come to see. A pity, his first date in France did not live up to his reputation, with Jimmy Riley's son having to make do with a handful of songs.
If he comes on stage laughing, arms raised, he will not stay there long, just long enough to play a few hits from his album "Parables" and to lift the crowd with his hits She's royal and Beware.
 MARCIA GRIFFITHS
Announced by the announcer as a living legend (40 years of career!), Marcia Griffiths comes on stage as usual with the dreamy Dreamland, an entrance that is already well rehearsed. In a fitted purple dress with sparkling polka dots (!) that only she can carry off, she invites her son on stage for a duet, and goes into Dawn Penn's No, no, no, before launching again into Damian Marley's Welcome to Jamrock. The inevitable Bob Marley cover follows, Could you be loved, which easily wins over the crowd and on which she leaves the stage. Undeniably, it is she who, up to that point, has got the Zénith moving most with her classics. And above all thanks to a fine presence and a seductive act made of dance steps and knowing smiles.
LUCIANO
 It had been a long time since we had seen the Messenjah on stage. His scripted entrance with the cape, the hat and the sceptre still has its little effect. Right away, Luciano looks in great shape, and is as professional and generous as ever. He chains his hits without a wrong note, treating the crowd to his energy: Luciano jumps all over the place, comes down off the stage to shake the audience's hands, and his big smile never leaves his face.
Taking advantage of the forwards earned on his must-play tunes (Ulterior Motive on John Holt's Stealing, Who could it be), he cleverly sprinkles in the best tracks from his latest album: the title track Jah is my navigator (which he points out was written by Tarrus Riley) and the impeccable cover of Bob Marley's Jah Live.
His performance reaches its peak with One away ticket, which he makes sound a little better every year, so much so that the rest of the show can only drop in intensity (For the leaders on the Drop Leaf riddim and Silver & Gold on the Hard Times). We have to wait until the encore and the extended performance of It's me again Jah, in which he suits the action to the words by going down on his knees. After an hour, Luciano leaves to a veritable ovation, sealing his reunion with the Parisian crowd.
 JAH CURE
After his first concert (in Eindhoven last summer) and his first concert in Jamaica (at Curefest), this is the third time we have seen Jah Cure on stage since his release from prison.
Each time, it is clear that his performance evolves and gains in confidence in every respect - to the point of even disconcerting his audience. Welcomed like a rock star, Jah Cure behaved like one.
The entrance, for its part, does not change: you can barely hear the first chords of Longing for as they are drowned out by the screams of the female audience in the front rows, which redouble as he walks on stage. The ovation is enormous, and the Zénith glitters with thousands of mobile phones, cameras and stills cameras. His voice sparkling, Jah Cure opens straight away with some of his best songs: Jah bless me, Sunny Day (at last!), then Good Morning Jah. For all that, the crowd is not very keen to sing along to his choruses, and Jah Cure even takes a few flops when holding out the mic.
He starts King in his jungle singing Sizzla's parts, then Run come love me with Jah Mason's parts. When the notes of Ghetto Life ring out, the shadow of Beres Hammond hangs over the show. True Reflection and Love is follow before a conclusion on Sticky that drags on. "I just want people to be happy. I am happy," adds Jah Cure, who will (all the same) not have missed his Paris debut.
Report written by La rédaction
Photos : Timothée Eisenegger
Tags : Luciano (128), Jah Cure (86), Ras Shiloh (14), Marcia Griffiths (38), Tarrus Riley (137), Festivals 2008 (43)
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