He lives up to his name. Fayah, or fire pronounced in Jamaican, was not chosen at random in my opinion, because as soon as he arrived on stage, the temperature, which was already high, exploded. We were treated to pure, unadulterated shatta, the Martinican dancehall style that is so successful.
The artist’s official DJ played an instrumental role in getting the crowd ready and in the right mood to welcome Blaiz. Like Mo’Kalamity and several other artists interviewed for this edition, this is his first visit to Canada. He came accompanied by his two dancers and all the musicians, guitarist, and drummer, and they had a dress code: white and blue, the colors of the fleur-de-lys flag that he wore at times. Indeed, wings could be seen on the back of his T-shirt, the one whose career has been taking off for several years now.
The crowd went wild when the guitarist started playing kompa rhythms, which he seemed to master very well. The DJ and Blaiz even started dancing with the dancers, imitated by several festival-goers. Probably one of the highlights of the evening, just like when the artist and his DJ took a dip in the crowd at the end of the concert.
“This is my first time here, and I want us to remember it for the rest of our lives,” he said, putting a little pressure on his new audience.
We were treated to a few pull-ups, which aim to interrupt the song a few seconds after it starts, to go back and redo it until the end this time.
We were treated to all of his hits, and there are many, including Money Pull Up, Gimme This, LifeStyle, and Best Gyal, during which the dancers put on quite a show. Several tracks from his latest album, Shatta Ting, were featured, but that wasn’t all.
He takes the time to thank the fans, who were numerous to my surprise, acknowledging that it is thanks to them that they exist. What is impressive about this artist is that he can sing in both high and low registers, sometimes switching between the two in the same song. This is the case in Bubble and Wine, where the chorus is sung in a high register while the verses are sung in a low register.
My favorite part of the evening: the only song I really knew, Propaganda, which is simply impossible to sit still to. It came right after One Life, which he performed as a calm reggae song, against a red backdrop, with guitar.
By the end of the concert, Blaiz Fayah had won over his audience, who were ready to do anything he asked, even when he asked them to “move back, move forward, jump, and shout.”
Not only did festival-goers enjoy the show, they also danced from start to finish, as they simply couldn’t help themselves. The evening was fayah, both literally and figuratively.
Photo Credit: Production Luna
