REVIEW: Reggae Music Bringing Unity to the City
07/08 @ Empire State Plaza, Albany
**This article was written by high schooler Tayla Robinson as part of our Metroland Summer School program!**
Photo from artist’s Instagram
“From this profound musical gathering, they became one. One body. One harmony. One peace. One love.”
“One Love.”
I originally didn’t know what this phrase meant until I witnessed it firsthand on Wednesday, July 8 at the Empire State Plaza.
The plaza itself was a unique work of art, flowing with numerous food stands of different cultural cuisines while the crowd itself was a blend of ethnicities from Caribbean to Canadian. Despite the incredible heat, the many people who attended were able to fully engage with the music as well as each other.
As far as the music, it’s safe to say that it was nothing less than an unforgettable experience. DJ Selecta Buzz started things off with reggae remixes that would make you tap your foot while painting vivid island images in your mind — I could literally feel the sand in my toes! This DJ’s remixes included various bass-heavy songs that maintain good rhythms while simultaneously giving emphasis on off-beat accompaniment, behaving like a ping pong game that kept me engaged the whole time. The people loved it too, with more of them moving closer to the stage as the night went on.
Anthem Band, the opener for the main artist, also understood the assignment and kept the groovy vibes going. They performed many popular songs including “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson and “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. But what made it significant was that they gave each of these songs a reggae twist, allowing the audience members to experience a new dimension of the music that we all know and love. I was able to take in the deep bass that held down the rhythm with bright, sharp chords to follow it without fail. It filled me with nothing but happiness as I enjoyed the band in addition to seeing more of the crowd connect with it and with each other.
At last, we finally made it to the star of the show — Ding Dong! Born and raised in Jamaica, Ding Dong let his origins take center stage as he gave the people a thrill with his loud entrance. Lively energy was passed to and from the stage, with Ding Dong himself leaving the stage as well as inviting people to the stage in order to create fun memories for those who were there. He sought to take as many pictures with as many audience members as he could, choosing to be fully present with the people of Albany.
Then that’s when I heard it.
“One Love.”
I knew about the phrase but could never grasp its true meaning until that day.
As I looked out to the crowd, I saw a beautiful rainbow of colors that made up the plaza. I noticed the bonds that were made with one human and another. They were all as joyful as I was, but most importantly they were unified as one. No matter how they chose to immerse themselves in these summertime tunes, this created a connection stronger than I have ever seen between beings of this multitude.
From this profound musical gathering, they became one.
One body.
One harmony.
One peace.
One love.
So I sincerely thank Ding Dong for his impact in the music industry. His latest release Freeze is out now.
