Meze Lounge, Newport
Sat 3 Sept
A proper late night reggae session takes place in Newport, going on till 5am at that old favourite, the Meze Lounge. Don’t be confused by the venue’s name – it’s unlikely that middle eastern snacks will be the main fare on offer here, as this dancehall reggae legend seems to have been booked by local Carribbean food franchise Irie Shack. Sister Nancy was the first well-known female dancehall DJ, but she’s known best for her soundystem classic Bam Bam, the dancehall smash that pitted her lyrically playful performance against Ansell Collin’s classic Stalag 17 ska riddim.
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Sister Nancy – born Ophlin Russell – is now approaching 60, releasing her first single all the way back in 1980 and following in her brother Brigadier Jerry’s footsteps as a Kingston superstar. She apparently now works as an accountant in New Jersey, so it’s exciting to see her still performing all the way back in the UK. Her big classic still gives off reverberations in all different areas of culture, from Canadian ragga-jungle producer Krinjah’s influential 2001 remix to its sampling by Kanye West in Famous, currently trending for its part in the downfall of Taylor Swift’s career, not to mention its inclusion in the soundtrack of dictator-bothering Hollywood comedy The Interview. Seeing it played out live in Newport is an opportunity not to be missed – “Sister Nancy she a one inna three million.”
Tickets: £8 early bird. Info: 01633 259144
words GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF