Frankie Paul To Rock Startime January 9 !!
The first and last time Frankie Paul appeared on Startime was way back in 2003, when the Mas Camp was situated on Oxford Road, New Kingston.
It was a night few who were in the massive audience will forget as the 80s/90s reggae superstar went about flattening the venue with a string of hits and his powerful vocals superbly backed by Lloyd Parks and we the People.
Frankie could do no wrong and the hungry crowd gobbled up hit after hit, requested two genuine encores, and the singer Jamaicans dubbed the Jamaican ‘Stevie Wonder’, obliged and still the crowd wanted more.
Reluctantly the emcee had to move on due to time constraints, and Frankie gleefully expressed his appreciation for the outpouring of love and support shown him by the Startime massive; and there and then he promised to return.
Well it has been twelve years since, two extended Startime breaks came and went, and Frankie will finally get the chance to honour his promise as the Original Startime returns to the Mas Camp inside the National Stadium Car Park for one night only … Saturday January 9, 2016.
Sharing the Startime stage with Frankie will be artists of the calibre of the Undisputed Queen of Reggae Marcia Griffiths performing the Jamaican leg of her historic 51st anniversary world tour; Leroy ‘Heptones’ Sibbles, himself celebrating 50 years in the music industry and Errol Dunkley celebrating 49 years; the longest-serving Jamaican vocal group the Mighty Diamonds, 47 years together as a trio; Horace Andy; Johnny Clarke; and CB 200 deejay Dillinger – making his overdue Startime debut – all backed by Lloyd Parks & We the People.
Frankie Paul who like his mega-star hero Stevie Wonder was born visually challenged, sang for and impressed Stevie when he visited the primary school that Blake attended, prompting him to pursue a singing career, is literally ‘chomping at the bit’ to return to the Startime stage and finish the musical pandemonium he created in 2003.
“I will be at my best” says Frankie, “and will deliver all the hits my fans have come to know and love.”
Those hits include Casanova, Sarah, Alesha, I Want To Rock, I Know The Score, Slow Down, Fire Deh A Mus Mus Tail, For Your Eyes Only, Tidal Wave, Worries In The Dance and Tushungpeng among others.
“I hope they will all be at Mas Camp on January 9. I promised them I would return to Startime way back in 2003, and I’m thrilled to know that Mikey Barnett and Charles Simms are giving me the opportunity to fulfill my promise, even though it’s 12 years later” says an ecstatic Paul.