By Colin Thompson—-

Fans of Jamaican dancehall reggae singers Admiral Tibet, Courtney Melody and Half Pint will get the rare opportunity to see the trio perform on local shores later this year.

The dancehall greats are set to appear at the Annual Veterans in Action Show to be held on November 10 at CedarBridge Academy.

Admiral Tibet and Half Pint are no strangers to the Island, having performed here in the past, while Courtney Melody is making his first visit to these shores.

Courtney Melody produced a string of hits during the 1980s which include ‘Modern Girl’, ‘Wake up Little Sousie’, ‘Ninja Mi Ninja’, ‘Screechy Across the Border’ and ‘Key to your Heart’ that made the singer a household name in the reggae industry. To this day his 1989 album ‘Modern Girl’ is regarded as one of the best dance hall albums ever recorded in Jamaica.

Half Pint

Half Pint, who hails from the same West Kingston enclave as the legendary Bob Marley and Dennis Brown, also produced a string of hits in the 80s which include ‘Winsome’, ‘Sally’, ‘Mr Landlord’, ‘Level Vibes’, ‘Greetings’ and ‘Victory’.

Admiral Tibet, who is regarded as the most consistently conscious singer of his generation, is perhaps best known for his hit song ‘Serious Time’, and ‘Leave People Business’, which proved very popular among dance hall fans.

The trio will be backed by New York-based band, Ruff Kut, while local deejays Magnum Force, Black Star and Lenky Global will perform during the musical interludes to keep the momentum going.

Veterans in Action CEO Declan Harris said the dancehall trio’s musical talents are just as silky as they were during their heyday.

“Admiral Tibet, Courtney Melody and Half Pint all sound like their records and they haven’t lost a beat,” he noted. “It’s just amazing how well they sound even at their age.

“It’s one thing to have classic records but another to actually have it and still be able to perform it because unfortunately, some guys, whether it’s age or lack of practice or whatever the case, just don’t have it anymore but these guys do. These guys still bring it and perform on a consistent basis and Half Pint has a new album out on Universal Records and has been doing a lot of touring this summer.”

Earlier this year Veterans in Action brought in conscious reggae singer Luciano and Mikey Dread who were a big hit among mature reggae fans.

Mr Harris anticipates November’s show will be no exception.

“What I’ve found that we’ve been able to build on is that the mature patron is again clamouring for entertainment and they certainly have been very responsive to what we’ve done so far,” he said. “I think they will do the same with this event because it’s certainly a quality event that will have three artists that will give you three solid hours of entertainment if not more. This is a traditional Veterans in Action show and people should know what to expect.”

Admiral Tibet

Tickets for the upcoming show go on sale September 1 and can be purchased at Kit n Caboodle, Fish & Tings, People’s Pharmacy, Belvin’s Variety (Devonshire and Happy Valley stores), Somers Supermart or online at www.bermudatickets.bm.

“We always try to make these events as affordable as possible given the times we are in so the ticket prices are going to be $50 in advance,” Mr Harris said. “And that’s with a live band so for those three artists and a live band I think that’s a very affordable price.”

Last week saw Veterans in Action team up with 441 Productions and the City of Hamilton to bring reggae great Beres Hammond to these shores where he wowed those that attended his sold-out show at Par-la-Ville Car Park on the eve of Cup Match.

Mr Harris said the event surpassed his expectations.

“The show exceeded expectations both from the number of patrons and the production of the event itself,” he added. “I haven’t received anything but positive feedback on how people enjoyed themselves.

“Like anything there’s always areas which you can improve on, but I don’t think anyone left that event unhappy.”