Hickory, Dickory, tock. Protoje sounded the clock. The clock struck ten, Protoje seh “dem dead”. Hickory Dickory tock.
A Matter of Time Live was the timeless concert that Jamaica needed. Protoje once again made Hope Gardens into his private studio space and invited patrons in to be captivated by his eternal sound. I wandered into the venue at minutes to nine in order to capture the sacred land directly in front of the stage but to my surprise, it was already inhabited by some locals. Ignoring the Christopher Columbus within, I made it to my mission to be absorbed into their pre-concert ritual. There was this older woman of the sort all decked out in reggae garb and I wondered if she was the leader of an underground Reggae faction that fought against lame concert vybz. Our interaction was short but spicy “Young bwoy like you nahve knee”, My reply was rehearsed as I have heard this line used countless times “ Muma mi nuh need nuh knee when mi have the next leg” She smiled brightly and that was the end of that.
The stage was finally set, Yannick (@thetherapistsol) was desperately trying to be some kind of rasta ninja but was failing miserably. The InDiggNation band was ready. The front singers were ready because they were never at any time backups. The crowd started to roar. The lights shone heavenly inviting the InDiggNation Messiah to preach to his congregation. And what a sermon it was!
Protoje ran through his set with veteran skill while still maintaining youthful exuberance as “ooos” and “ahhhs” rang out from the awestruck crowd as they witnessed Protoje’s mastery on display. His set considered all of his album tracks as this was an album themed concert with tracks such as ‘Bout Noon’ evoking lustful screams from women that bordered on memorable moans. ‘Like This’ and ‘A Matter of Time’ were tracks that sang with a connection that permeated within the souls of everyone inside Hope Gardens. ‘Camera Show’ began with a trailer of words that spoke on the events surrounding the Mr & Ms Law competition and made the unfeigned rendition of the track sell out the box offices within our hearts.
A Matter of Time the album featured two artistes but A Matter of Time Live featured a lot more as Taurus Riley, Agent Sasco, Koffee made their presence felt with strong performances. The showstopper was Lila Ike as her suit ‘shun bright lakka diamond. Lila Ike was a fashion statement from the grills to the well-tailored glamour suit made her a singing star, a very strong prophecy for her future. The artistes that were featured on the album were great, to say the least. Mortimer’s rendition of ‘Truth & Rights’ with Protoje was astounding as his mesmerizing voice lulled us into a peace that we never want to forget. Chronixx was celestial as his crooned performance of ‘skankin sweet’ was documented by the heavens as the sky cried as I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Protoje and Chronixx were an unstoppable duo as they closed out the show with all of their tracks together and then some!
Protoje maintains the theme of time throughout his projects commencing with Seven Year Itch and we are currently on his melodious timeline with A Matter of Time. His sound is ageless, his style is unfading and his love for Jamaica is undying. Protoje is an immortal artiste and will go down in the book of Reggae as a legend as he has the Mind of a King.
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