Hooray for Tinga
As the plaudits rolled from colleagues and family, Tinga Stewart sat beneath a canopy and nodded in appreciation. The lofty tributes befitted his status as one of reggae’s elders.
Stewart, a two-time Festival Song Contest winner, turned 71 on July 3. The veteran singer has battled depression in the past two years and shown little interest in music.
Last Saturday’s event at his Patrick City home in Kingston, was organised by his wife Andrea to lift his spirits. She said the turnout, which saw Stewart’s daughter, Sandy, as emcee, exceeded expectations.
“You could tell he was smiling on the inside even though he wasn’t saying much. You could tell he was enjoying every moment of his birthday,” Andrea Stewart told the Jamaica Observer.
Tony Rebel and Richie Stephens were among the artistes who lauded Stewart. They recalled his words of encouragement for them during their early days in the music business.
“As Queen (Ifrica) sey, ‘if all a wi come a yuh foot dat mean sey yuh have something great’. Wi remember all di Festival songs, all di great performances…wi jus’ love yuh,” said Rebel.
Ken Boothe, Stewart’s longtime friend, also paid tribute and sang ‘Happy birthday’ to mark his latest ‘earthstrong’
The older of two brothers (the other being Roman) who won the Festival Song Contest, Tinga Stewart first won the event in 1974 with Play de Music. Seven years later, he won with Nuh wey nuh Better Than Yard.
He wrote Hooray Festival for Roman, which won the 1975 contest.
Tinga Stewart’s hit songs also include Cover Me and Take Time to Know with Ninjaman, and Inside my Heart.
Other artistes who attended the event were Queen Ifrica, Eric Donaldson, Roy Rayon, The Heptones, Dennis Alcapone, Merciless, Horace Andy, Little John, Tristan Palmer, Frankie Campbell of the Fabulous Five, Bagga Case, Boris Gardiner, Pam Hall, Jah Screw, Little Lenny, and Predator.
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