‘I am Mr Sumfest’ - Sizzla stamps his class at greatest reggae festival

Sizzla Kalonji has dubbed himself 'Mr Sumfest'. The Thank You Mama hitmaker, on Saturday night , made his first appearance on a stage in nearly a year and served up what was arguably the best performance of Sumfest 2020.

The usual crowd-filled format for the festival, considered to be the greatest reggae festival in the world, had to be shelved this year due to the novel coronavirus. Instead, organisers staged the event virtually, and from all accounts, Sizzla rocked living rooms in the way he has always rocked the Catherine Hall venue.

"When I heard the concert was going to be virtual, I knew I had to be ready for it. I am Mr Sumfest, for the ladies and the entire world. Sumfest is a very beautiful festival, a well-planned show with many talents from all over Jamaica. This is where they come to show off that talent to the world, and so I'm always happy to be a part of it," Sizzla said in a post-performance interview with THE STAR.

"I loved the whole decorum and the putting together of the virtual show, and I hope it sweep everyone off their feet. As long as Sumfest can reach out to the public in ways like these, they will have my support and will continue having the support of the people."

Sizzla said that after his motorcycle mishap last year, which saw one of his ankles being injured, he had to spend some time ensuring that he got back to this point of readiness.

"I took it upon myself to do a little therapy because I gotta be moving around, and as long as I can be moving around, I'm good. As you can see, I was at the virtual Sumfest, and it went well. What happened was just a part of life. It doesn't stop me from continuing the work," he said.

"This is Sizzla. Performing is what I do, and so I will always do it to the best of my ability, so whether it's a month or a year since my last performance, I get back into things quickly. Nothing has been lost. It's still there."

On Saturday night, Sizzla opened his set with a fiery rendition of Dry Cry and then spent the next 20 minutes delivering hit after hit while blazing the fire every step of the way in true Sizzla style.