Opposition Leader Mark Golding and his wife, Sandra, were among hundreds of early birds that watched Intimate, the much-anticipated showcase headlined by reggae and dancehall icons Beres Hammond and Buju Banton.
Speaking with the Gleaner, Golding stated that he had rung in the New Year in St Ann, where the event was staged, and could quickly reel off tracks from Beres and Buju Banton, both of whom he has interacted with personally.
“Beres is like the soundtrack to our lives, and the fact that he is still doing it is amazing. He has such a huge catalog of wonderful songs… Putting Up Resistance, What One Dance Can Do … there are many. And I love the catalog. I’ve seen Beres perform many, many times, and, in fact, when DB&G, an investment firm I was involved in, was celebrating its 10th anniversary, Beres performed,” Golding told The Gleaner.
Mark Golding
Showing off his music knowledge, Golding gave his personal assessment of Buju Banton’s catalog as well as the artiste as a whole.
“Buju is an icon of the dancehall, and his catalog is amazing because it spans, in terms of his approach, very conscious things and more of the hype side, especially the earlier songs. Buju has a very diverse repertoire for a dancehall artiste. I got to know him in the last couple of years on a personal level,” Golding said.
Mark Golding
Golding had high praise for the Priory venue and shared that he and Sandra anticipated having “a wonderful night.”
Many patrons who came out to party with Hammond and Banton, including those in the VIP section, were wise enough to walk with their chairs, as no seats were provided.