Bushman :: King of Kings Family Tour @ Wild Hare 10/30/01

By Steve Serpiente/Pictures by Issa Prophet

CHICAGO - In regal fashion, the King of Kings Family Tour paraded five stately singers before a full house at the Wild Hare in a royal
three hour plus performance backed by the Grass Roots band's majestic riddims.

The top ranking lion of the tour, Dwight Duncan (better known as Bushman), sang praises of Rastafari, chanted down Babylon and exalted the healing power of marijuana during his 50 minute set. Clad in khaki military garb, Bushman simultaneously executed his assault against Babylon and soothed its sufferers with his potent Jah Jah music.

(For those not familiar with Bushman, he is a young roots & culture singer often compared to Luciano, but with a more militant edge lyrically. A country youth hailing from the parish of St. Thomas, Duncan was dubbed Bushman by the prominent Jamaican production duo of Steely & Clevie in the mid 1990s. Although Duncan was at first reluctant to accept the moniker, he soon came to embrace it upon
learning that in west Africa the term Bushman referred to a medicine man or healer.)
*click the pics to enlarge
Introduced by MC Jazzy at 1:15 a.m., Bushman roared into his performance with the title track of his 1997 debut album Nyah Man Chant, followed by "Worries and Problems" from his 1999 release, Total Commitment. Other key cuts included from Total Commitment were "Hard Time" and the lovers lament "Afraid of Commitment."

Unleashing a harsh warning over the "Darker Shade of Black" riddim against perpetuators of the shytstem in "Robbery Aggrovation" (Higher Ground, 2001), Bushman sang, "Mystery Babylon, your bodyguard is gonna need some bodyguards / cause the ghetto youths no take no more card / Can't you see the cup is running over / and anytime now they could turn you over?" Within the chorus of the same song, Bushman points victims to the way out of Babylon's quagmire: "There's only one solution: / to become a Rastafari."

(Bushman references "Mystery Babylon" in several of his compositions. While Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines Babylon as "a city devoted to materialism and the pursuit of sensual pleasure," Bushman offered the following interpretations during an exclusive interview with chicagoreggae.com's Issa Prophet: "a society that oppresses another;" "Babylon is confusion;" and "(a) concept that people  impose on others.")

Also from the "Higher Ground" record, Bushman hit the Hare with "Yadd Away Home," "Your Love," the deliciously ital "Fire Pon a Deadas" (which promotes a vegetarian lifestyle) and the toker's delight "100% (The Highest)." This last track followed "Cannabis" (Nyah Man Chant) to make up Bushman's mini celebration of herb. On the soulful "Remember the Days" (Nyah Man Chant), Bushman demonstrated his vocal dexterity as he simmered down with the slow rocking beat, singing Motown style.

The crowning jewel of the evening was "Fire Bun a Weak Heart" (Total Commitment). Riding the Hypocrites riddim, Bushman hauled up in the middle to big up Dennis Emmanuel Brown by singing a couple verses by the Crown Prince, then proceeded with the chorus from the Wailers' original "Hypocrites" before returning to his own lyrics of "Fire Bun a Weak Heart." Truly wicked.

Unfortunately, Bushman's portion of the show was cut short just as he was warming up with some lion growling vocalizations when Wild Hare management turned up the house lights at 2 a.m. - a signal to end the performance in compliance with city ordinances regulating operating hours. (Raas Claat Babylon!)

The other lions and lioness in the King of Kings stable made their marks, showcasing their various talents and creating positive vibes throughout the night.

Dancing across the stage effortlessly and (as pointed out by Issa) breathlessly, Norris Man pumped out 40 minutes of reggae, rub a dub and R&B. Entering with the intro of Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky," Norris Man won over new fans with his versatility. He went from voicing original lyrics over Gregory Isaacs' laid back "Soon Forward" riddim to a high voltage dancehall groove during which he had revellers bouncing and jumping. Norris Man then mashed up the Hare with "Bad Road," which can be found on his 2001 recording, Persistance, and on the VP Records compilation Universal Message.

Exercising his powerful pipes, Chrisinti mixed up roots singing and dancehall rapping in his 35 minute stint, which was capped with his strong version of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come."

Promoting his new CD, A Friend for Life, Iley Dread (real name Colin Levy) contributed a competent half hour of roots, lovers and covers, which began with an a cappella intro to an original number voiced over Bob Marley & the Wailers' "Lively Up Yourself" riddim. He also reworked Chalice's 1981 hit "Good To Be There," as well as "Don't Look Back" (the Temptations classic which Peter Tosh gave a popular reggae makeover in a duet with Mick Jagger on Tosh's 1978 Bush Doctor album). The latter track featured some inspired rapping by the two female backup singers.
A gifted young sister by the name of Nikki Burt opened the show at 11 p.m. with a 25 minute set highlighted by sweet covers of Marley's "Is This Love" and Sade's "Lovers Rock."

Grass Roots, a tight unit comprised of drummer Deleon White, bassist Rupert McKensie, guitarist Bryan Grant and keyboardist Philip James, kicked out hard riddims for all five singers with no breaks. In addition to touring with Bushman and crew, the group is also Junior Kelly's live backing band.

Jermaine Forde, son of King of Kings Family Tour manager Marcia Simpson and stepson of founding Black Uhuru member Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, skillfully worked the mixing board as the tour's engineer.

To read Issa Prophet's interview with Bushman, watch this space.

Contact reggae addict Steve Serpiente at serpiente97@yahoo.com

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