Tommy Lee Sparta delivers at Meca despite arm injury

In the wee hours of Labour Day, 'gun fingers' were raised in the air in appreciation of dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta's gothic lyrics, juxtaposed against a live music accompaniment some only previously heard in church.

This avant-garde performance was courtesy of a new music experience presented by Club Meca. Dubbed 'Mecaestra' by the entertainment company, they hope to blend the classical instruments and elements of an orchestra along with a live choir and the island's frontrunners of the traditional dancehall scene.

But shortly after 2 a.m., MC Trippple X announced to patrons that the headliner was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him with a broken arm. Tommy Lee Sparta was said to be on his way regardless, and the time was pushed to 3 a.m. as the club DJ continued to entertain the crowd. The adjusted time came and saw the members of the orchestra, dressed in black formal wear, moving through Club Meca's crowd that parted to allow the musicians to find their places ringing the circular raised platform in the centre of the floor. The choir, adorned in Meca-branded gowns, followed soon after and took their places. After a few more minutes marked by Trippple X engaging in light banter with the orchestra, the space darkened and a tight knot of people, with 'Uncle Demon' himself at the centre, progressed forward to the rising first strains of one of his debut tracks, Warn Dem.

The lights went up and Tommy Lee Sparta took to the stage, dramatically dressed in black leather cape covering a black graphic T-shirt decorated with flames. He was accessorised with a black baclava, layers of diamond-encrusted jewellery and of course, a souvenir of his fresh injury, a cast over his right arm and fingers. In somewhat visible pain, he was not to be deterred, and an intensely passionate performance of hits like Spartan So ldier, Holding Out The Pressure and Helicopter ensued to the patrons' delight who echoed back lyrics excitedly along with the melodic sounds of the harmonising choir. A standout moment was the rendition of Psycho, in which the sounds of the string instruments and the sweet voices of the choir meshed with the low humming of the artiste's voice.

Gems were dropped by the artiste in-between tracks, such as a warning to his fans to "accept people fi how dem be" saying his spirit called him to say so. This show, one of his most anticipated performances since his March 2023 release from prison for illegal gun possession, seemed to be a moment of reflection on his career and life experiences thus far. Akeria Gardner, media liaison and project manager of the MECA Entertainment Group, said their philosophy of 'go big or go home' was embodied by Tommy Lee Sparta's performance, which exceeded expectations despite his injury.

"As the number one 'hottest' entertainment hub in Jamaica, both locally and internationally recognised, we pride ourselves on innovation and creativity. Tommy Lee's passion for the dancehall culture aligns with our mission, and his performance was a huge moment for our culture, fusing dancehall with orchestral symphony... ," she said.

"Artistes are reaching out to us to be part of this groundbreaking concept, and we're likely to feature someone from the new MUCK rhythm in our next performance. Additionally, Mecaestra has generated overseas inquiries and will be touring the US with dates to be confirmed. This is just the beginning for Mecaestra, and we're excited to see where it takes us."