The big buzz around this year’s staging of Shaggy and Friends may have been the presence of sensational songbird and The Voice winner Tessanne Chin but, make no mistake, it was really all about the children of Bustamante Hospital.
The only one of its kind on this side of the hemisphere, the Bustamante Children’s Hospital (BCH) has been the beneficiary of the Shaggy & Friends concerts since 2009, the year the event had its first staging.
Benefactor, The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation (under whose auspices the show is staged), has over the years made several donations of well-needed medical equipment to the institution. There is no doubt that the gifts have significantly eased the burden of staff as they admirably carry out their duties despite equipment shortages.
The story around the initiative is indeed a moving one. After visiting a friend’s child at the hospital – the child needed life-saving surgery – Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell could not ignore the fact that the absence of a single machine could mean life or death for the child and the many other patients who would use the hospital. Seized of the constraints with which staff and patients alike grappled, Shaggy began donating cash and equipment to the institution. His trips would include bedside visits to the children whose fragile life depended on the pieces of equipment.
The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation has since donated over 350 pieces of equipment and raised millions of dollars for the children’s hospital.
This year, the funds raised from the annual concert will go towards building and outfitting a cardiac unit, which is slated to open in the second quarter of this year – by every measurement, this is a major achievement for all concerned. The BCH has been performing open-heart surgery since 2000 with the help of doctors from Chain of Hope in the UK.
The costs underwritten by The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation are by no means miniscule, especially in light of Government’s fiscal constraints. Head of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at BCH, Dr. Lambert Innis puts Shaggy’s contribution in context:
“Shaggy got involved 13 years ago, but he has been caring all along,” he disclosed. “It’s tremendous for the hospital…for the staff, children, Ministry of Health and SEHRA ,” he concluded.
The benefit to the children and their parents, many of whom have said openly that they simply would not have been able to afford the required care for their little angels, is monumental.
Back at Jamaica House, Shaggy and Friends were pushing the limit on their previous performances.
With a mix of the old and new, man of the moment and philanthropist, Shaggy, a Grammy Award-winning and platinum-selling reggae artiste, officially opened the show with what could best be described as a teaser. He would return later with friends Ravon, and Ne-Yo, to thrill the audience even more.
A musical rewind saw the Bandelero, Pinchers, rattling off a handful of his ’80s hits: For Your Eyes Only, Bandelero and Agony included. The two Admirals – Bailey and Tibet – and the Mighty Diamonds followed suit. Bailey was the standout – the Big Belly Man worked the stage engaging the crowd all the time with his hit of the same name and a string of others. Carlene Davis ministered like a woman who had set out to save souls – which was her mission.
Surprise act Macka Diamond, donning a red-hot, hip-hugging mini dress, was a toned-down version of her Sting alter ego – this show was also attended by children and streamed live to the BCH wards. Chris Martin’s heartfelt tribute to his “Mamma”; Elephant Man’s energy and a host of other acts made a very well executed event, overlong. Damion ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, Wayne Marshall and Agent Sasco delighted; so too Soca eye candy Kes who encouraged the crowd to “get wutlis”. Sasco’s lyrical prowess was definitely cemented that night and Konshens held the audience with his hits.
Shaggy’s second stint showcased more of the superstar’s artistry and was as well received as American R&B heartthrob Ne-Yo’s sexy onstage moves.
With a voice that had captivated audiences around the world weeks earlier and impressed some of the biggest names in music as she sang her way to the pinnacle in NBC’s The Voice Competition, Tessanne Chin was always going to be a crowd-puller – and the entire town seemed to have come out to see her.
Tessanne, who gave television audiences more than a taste of her sultry sound and a glimpse into her beautiful soul, served up everything – from pop, to soul, even ‘reggaefying’ songs never thought possible to her fast-growing fan base as the three-months long competition progressed.
In between, the sultry singer brought on her “brother from another mother” fellow The Voice contestant Matthew Schuler, who Jamaicans have obviously taken a liking to.
Those who stuck around for Chronixx and Tarrus Riley after Tessanne’s exit would not have regretted it.
Earlier, in underscoring the Foundation’s commitment, Rebecca Packer, Executive Director at The Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation stated: “Every single dollar that is earned at Shaggy & Friends goes directly to benefit the Bustamante Hospital.”
She continued, “The people who come out in their thousands every year to the concert save so many lives. They have raised just under US$1 million over three years ticket purchases and donations and they have truly made a difference”.
The caring will continue with the show’s next staging in 2016.
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The big buzz around this year’s staging of Shaggy and Friends may have been the presence of sensational songbird and The Voice winner Tessanne Chin but, make no mistake, it was really all about the children of Bustamante Hospital.
The only one of its kind on this side of the hemisphere, the Bustamante Children’s Hospital (BCH) has been the beneficiary of the Shaggy & Friends concerts since 2009, the year the event had its first staging.
Benefactor, The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation (under whose auspices the show is staged), has over the years made several donations of well-needed medical equipment to the institution. There is no doubt that the gifts have significantly eased the burden of staff as they admirably carry out their duties despite equipment shortages.
The story around the initiative is indeed a moving one. After visiting a friend’s child at the hospital – the child needed life-saving surgery – Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell could not ignore the fact that the absence of a single machine could mean life or death for the child and the many other patients who would use the hospital. Seized of the constraints with which staff and patients alike grappled, Shaggy began donating cash and equipment to the institution. His trips would include bedside visits to the children whose fragile life depended on the pieces of equipment.
The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation has since donated over 350 pieces of equipment and raised millions of dollars for the children’s hospital.
This year, the funds raised from the annual concert will go towards building and outfitting a cardiac unit, which is slated to open in the second quarter of this year – by every measurement, this is a major achievement for all concerned. The BCH has been performing open-heart surgery since 2000 with the help of doctors from Chain of Hope in the UK.
The costs underwritten by The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation are by no means miniscule, especially in light of Government’s fiscal constraints. Head of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at BCH, Dr. Lambert Innis puts Shaggy’s contribution in context:
“Shaggy got involved 13 years ago, but he has been caring all along,” he disclosed. “It’s tremendous for the hospital…for the staff, children, Ministry of Health and SEHRA ,” he concluded.
The benefit to the children and their parents, many of whom have said openly that they simply would not have been able to afford the required care for their little angels, is monumental.
Back at Jamaica House, Shaggy and Friends were pushing the limit on their previous performances.
With a mix of the old and new, man of the moment and philanthropist, Shaggy, a Grammy Award-winning and platinum-selling reggae artiste, officially opened the show with what could best be described as a teaser. He would return later with friends Ravon, and Ne-Yo, to thrill the audience even more.
A musical rewind saw the Bandelero, Pinchers, rattling off a handful of his ’80s hits: For Your Eyes Only, Bandelero and Agony included. The two Admirals – Bailey and Tibet – and the Mighty Diamonds followed suit. Bailey was the standout – the Big Belly Man worked the stage engaging the crowd all the time with his hit of the same name and a string of others. Carlene Davis ministered like a woman who had set out to save souls – which was her mission.
Surprise act Macka Diamond, donning a red-hot, hip-hugging mini dress, was a toned-down version of her Sting alter ego – this show was also attended by children and streamed live to the BCH wards. Chris Martin’s heartfelt tribute to his “Mamma”; Elephant Man’s energy and a host of other acts made a very well executed event, overlong. Damion ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, Wayne Marshall and Agent Sasco delighted; so too Soca eye candy Kes who encouraged the crowd to “get wutlis”. Sasco’s lyrical prowess was definitely cemented that night and Konshens held the audience with his hits.
Shaggy’s second stint showcased more of the superstar’s artistry and was as well received as American R&B heartthrob Ne-Yo’s sexy onstage moves.
With a voice that had captivated audiences around the world weeks earlier and impressed some of the biggest names in music as she sang her way to the pinnacle in NBC’s The Voice Competition, Tessanne Chin was always going to be a crowd-puller – and the entire town seemed to have come out to see her.
In between, the sultry singer brought on her “brother from another mother” fellow The Voice contestant Matthew Schuler, who Jamaicans have obviously taken a liking to.
Those who stuck around for Chronixx and Tarrus Riley after Tessanne’s exit would not have regretted it.
Earlier, in underscoring the Foundation’s commitment, Rebecca Packer, Executive Director at The Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation stated: “Every single dollar that is earned at Shaggy & Friends goes directly to benefit the Bustamante Hospital.”
She continued, “The people who come out in their thousands every year to the concert save so many lives. They have raised just under US$1 million over three years ticket purchases and donations and they have truly made a difference”.
The caring will continue with the show’s next staging in 2016.
Share this post: