Well, Shebada from Bashment Granny is the new phenomenon to hit stages worldwide. If you are not familiar with Shebada, click below.
Bashment Granny is on a world wide tour and although the recession is preventing people from spending the massive dollars on entertainment, Bashment Granny is still selling out venues - EVERY WHERE!
Have you noticed that the last club you've been to wasn't as crowded as you last remembered it? Did you realize that even stage shows with all A-List artists are barely pulling in a crowd? Or even as an artist, have you noticed that the crowd looks a bit scarce?
The recession is still in the air, but consumers worldwide are taking the last bit of money out of their entertainment fund and investing it in Bashment Granny starring Keith 'Shebada' Ramsey.
The Big Ship concert, Reggae Meets Rocksteady and Dancehall failed to pull even 500 people even though it boasted sure box office wizards such as Beres Hammond and Beenie Man. Only two days later, Shebada and the casts of Bashment Granny 2 and Money Worries pulled 13,000 to the Cable and Wireless Golf Academy.
“He sell out the venue, 13,000 people over Cable and Wireless golf course, two for one at the golf course, and it sell off. Him sell out Mas Camp by himself, we had 5,200 paying customers, and we had to give back 300 people their money because the venue just coulden hold anymore. Which dancehall artiste do that?” producer Bunny Allen, head of the Stages Production crew which has produced all of Ramsay’s plays so far, said.“No artiste can do that, they cannot pull the audience that Shebada is able to pull, no Richie Stephens, no Beres Hammond, none ah them caan pull the audience. If yu tek up Bounty, Kartel, Mavado and put dem inna venue on the same night as Shebada, that event would be empty,” he said.
Ramsay is a star with a capital S. He first came to public attention as a crowd favourite among the finalists in the televised stand-up comedy contest ‘Comedy Buss’, but he has supernovaed beyond that now. He has a rabid fan base that comprises mostly women between the ages of 16 to 35 who are diehard fans of his gender-bender qualities.
“The other day in England, Mavado played to 300 people in the Brixton Academy, but a few weeks later, Shebada put 2,300 into the venue and dem turn back 1000, and it is the same promoters dem who put on both shows,” Bunny explained.
"We go Negril and sell out the water park and dem no have 500 people over Mavado show, we sell out and we ah charge 1200, and have 2,000 people. Anno joke ting, every venue him play, him sell out, while over the other show, dem a charge 800 and the venue no cork,” Bunny explained.“Shebada is fully booked until the end of October overseas, we have to refuse dates right now, no artiste nah get dem love de.”
“Him special, him different, dem people de come once every ten years. He gives the people what dem want, dem just love him. Not just Jamaica alone, in May, do four show in England, people book him for 16 show in October, all the venues sell out. Oliver dem have to come off the road, they didn’t have a long run, they cancelled a lot of shows, right now, is Shebada time now,” Bunny explained enthusiastically.
Clearly we are at a day and age where the very thing that most Caribbean people are wholeheartedly against is taking over the entertainment industry. A blatant borderline character is outselling dancehall artists in the box office - as much as people do not want to admit this, the numbers don't lie!
Fans, don't worry, Bashment Granny will be at a theatre near you, at Howard University here in Washington DC on June 14th, 2009 - Get your tickets early because clearly they sell out quick!
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