Review
Publication date : Monday, May 09th 2005 - 17 610 views
Junior Kelly & Ras Shiloh Tour
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Staged as a tribute to Bob Marley, but also to Garnett Silk, Dennis Brown, and Jim Kelly, Junior's late brother, this night at the Bataclan was above all a chance for the French public to discover the young Ras Shiloh for the first time, alongside a Junior Kelly whose stage effectiveness is no longer in need of proof.
 For his first appearance on the Paris stage, the young Brooklyn singer, with his Garnett Silk-like tones, spoiled his audience by playing his best tunes first: he comes on to the Lalabela for an electrifying Are you satisfied, followed directly by Onto Zion on the Mount Zion riddim. We also heard Who can hear on the Forever loving Jah, superbly performed, and Brown Eyes, on the Love is Overdue. The singer takes his time on each riddim and slips in nods to Jah Cure and Bob Marley (War). It is above all at the end of the show that he allows himself a more pronounced tribute to Garnett Silk with Kingly Character, Zion in A Vision, Hello Mama Africa and Music Is The Rod. He leaves the stage after an hour of an energetic show, generously saluted by an audience that was not fooled. His touching, perfectly controlled voice will have delighted all lovers of singing. Quietly, Junior Kelly has a challenge on his hands.
After a half-hour interval, Junior Kelly comes on with Jewel of the nile, one of his best dancehall tunes, which he usually performs in front of a "connoisseur" audience. The foray into hardcore lasts only two songs, even if the overall tone is very dancehall, even almost rock, with very heavy one-drop mixes. Those who have already enjoyed Junior Kelly in concert know the reasons for this effectiveness: a great professional in both his voice and the construction of his songs, he is used to giving himself warmly to his listeners. Two qualities that command respect.
 A delighted crowd
Without being completely reworked, his set this year includes some new songs (too few, the most demanding will say). Among the Love so nice, Black, African bound and Smile, already well worn in but always good, we are happy to hear Dem Story on the I swear riddim, The more i see her on the Hard Times, and his most recent hit Receive, still little known to the public. He too pays tribute to Bob Marley, which is nothing unusual in his performances, with Kaya, which is used to introduce the band's musicians, and Rebel music, traditionally framed by his hit Boom Draw.
The delighted crowd calls the singer back twice. He performs Never let you down at the request of a woman in the audience and Rasta should be deeper, which he finishes in the middle of the crowd. "They want me to go," the deejay declares several times. "I've gone over my 15 minutes but I won't leave before the last song." After a final encore on Paradise, a thumbing of the nose at the organisers, he leaves the stage to the acclamations of the audience. In the end the show had little to do with a tribute to Bob Marley, but the particularly appealing double bill kept all its promises.
Report written by Benoit Georges
Tags : Junior Kelly (61), Ras Shiloh (14)
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