Combo deal ... More than one artiste to close Dancehall Night at Sumfest

With just two weeks until what is touted as the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth, Reggae Sumfest, promoter Robert Russell has confirmed that for the first time in the festivals's history, more than one artiste will close Dancehall Night.

This, he says, is because artistes have become increasingly hesitant to close the event.

"We may have two or three artistes closing the show. Some artistes don't want to close because they fear that the crowd might leave during their performance," Russell told THE STAR.

Although not willing to divulge the names of the artistes who were initially asked to close the show, Russell said that the grand finale to Dancehall Night will be "unique and very surprising".

Dancehall artiste I Octane, who closed the show in 2013 and 2014, agreed with Russell. For him, some artistes have mastered the art of recording songs but are unable to hold the crowd's attention when it comes to performing.

"Of course a fraid dem fraid. We as Jamaican artistes know how we stay. We want be like Bounty and Beenie and leave the hotel at 5 a.m., reach the show at 6 a.m. and then see the crowd out there a wait fi see we perform and then we feel like a we a the real top man!," I Octane said.

"Some artistes have recording lock but caan perform because dem know say even if people stay fi see them, after a few minutes of performing, people a go start walk out."

He continued: "I've always said that I want to close Dancehall Night three times in my career. I did it twice already when mi did a run the place. The young artistes dem whe have the hot songs now should be jumping at the opportunity to close it. Dem know demself," he said.