Capleton Returns to Dominica After 20 Years, Lighting Up the World Creole Music Festival
Capleton returned to a Dominica stage after 20 years, playing to a capacity crowd at Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Roseau last Friday at the World Creole Music Festival, with fans singing along line for line. He previewed new material including "Heights of Fire," said the wait came down to scheduling rather than any falling out, and called Dominica's fans some of his biggest and most loyal. He also has a children's empowerment song with Luciano on the way, and his Live Wire debut at The Wharf Estate, Clarendon, is this Saturday, October 31.
(ReggaeVibeMedia.com) — Twenty years. That is how long Dominica waited to see Capleton on one of its stages again, and judging by the capacity crowd at Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Roseau last Friday, nobody had forgotten a single lyric. The Fireman closed the gap at the World Creole Music Festival, playing to a crowd that was already warmed up before he walked out, fans singing along line for line as he worked through a run of his best-known songs.
He did not lean only on the catalogue either. Capleton used the set to introduce new material, including "Heights of Fire," giving the audience a taste of where he is heading after more than 30 years in the business. His own read on the night was simple. He described it as energetic and very interactive, and said the happiness of the crowd was what stuck with him: "I enjoyed it so much because I could see that the people were very happy. I love Dominica because it reminds me so much of Jamaica. I see ackee there, June plum and bumpy banana."
He also had a fitting observation about the island itself. "I'm also impressed with all the development I saw there. Plus, people may not realise that it's literally a fiery ground with several volcanoes on the island, so as a fireman, I love that." So why did it take two decades? According to Capleton, there was no falling out, just a calendar that never lined up when Dominican organisers came calling: "Whenever they tried to get me in Dominica, I was unavailable at times with other assignments and performances on the dates they wanted." He was quick to add that the island's fans are "some of my biggest and most loyal fans," and that it has always been "nothing but love, respect and support."
The setting made sense for a long overdue return. The World Creole Music Festival is Dominica's premier music event, running over three nights on the last weekend of October to coincide with the country's independence season, its lineup spanning bouyon, cadence-lypso, zouk, reggae, dancehall, soca and Afrobeats, with local, regional and international acts. Capleton, the artiste behind "Slew Dem," is still recognised as one of the hardest working men in dancehall, and his schedule is not slowing down. He also has a new children's empowerment song with Luciano waiting to drop, executive produced by Contractor Music, though no release date has been announced yet.
Closer to home for our audience, Capleton's Live Wire debut at The Wharf Estate, Clarendon, is this Saturday, October 31, with Deep Jahi and Jamarii, gates at 9 PM — and Capleton's own announcement stresses he is "NOT endorsing and NOT promoting any alcohol," calling it "a performance only." From a capacity crowd in Roseau to a Clarendon stage on Saturday, the Fireman is not waiting another twenty years for anything. Fans in Roseau now have a fresh reason to hope it won't be another twenty years before he's back — and Jamaica gets him first, this weekend.