Exco Levi, Grüner Jäger, Hamburg, 8.5.2014

EXCO LEVI, Grüner Jäger, Hamburg, 8.5.2014

If asked to pick a color to describe last month’s showcase appearance of Exco Levi at Grüner Jäger, orange would be my choice. Not only because this obviously was the favorite tint of the light-engineer of the club, but also because the mood of the night perfectly fits the attributes orange represents in the psychology of colors (yes, there is such a thing), as I found out today. Check this: “The color orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow.” Happiness, warmth, energy & cheerfulness… well, if these words don’t describe the evening’s essence, then I don’t know!
Guests trickled in slowly from 11 pm, welcomed by the sounds of Silly Walks’ Level the Vibes selection. Two hours later, the place was full already, and MC Joscha pointed out to the massive that Exco Levi had just reached the place, along with a special visitor who mingled with the crowd immediately. Appearing on stage at 1:30 am with Welcome The King, Mr. Wayne Ford Levi was greeted warmly by the Hamburg massive who hold a special place in their heart for him ever since he chose to shoot the video for his smashing single “Storms Of Life” in this city.
With the Brighter Days riddim, the dream-team Exco Levi & Silly Walks Discotheque presented a next song everybody knew: “Jah Nah Sleep” had to be pulled up at once, twice, and a third time when the singer intoned “Out comes the sun…”. And it went on like this, hit after hit, with a heavy focus on his recently released EP “Words Of The Wise”. Exco shared his wisdom with us in tunes like “Bleaching Shop”, “Under My Sheet”, “Cah Leave Out God” and “Ready To Revolute”, the latter especially well received by the rebellious party-crew (who by then had the location covered in orange smoke).
A nice surprise was the riddim 9.58, on which the expatriate Jamaican (he is now living in Canada) delivered his version “Life In The Factory”, brushing on “It’s been a long long time…” with us. Along with the conscious “Walk In My Shoes”, he made it clear that for him, slackness has no place in Reggae. As if to bear proof of this statement, another uplifting Silly Walks Production lightened the room. “In Strive” (on the beautiful Honeypot-Riddim), he tells us to reach our goals, no matter what happens along the way. Before the last notes of the song had faded, the pre-announced “special guest” in personae of Perfect Giddimani jumped on stage, mashing up the place with a condensed version of the show he had delivered a few days before at Angel Klub. Together the two artists obviously enjoyed the focused attention of the audience, taking turns in delivering freestyles or sing along in unity. It’s so easy to share the love! Not only music-wise…
When Perfect left to a thundering applause, Exco Levi proceeded with the one song that had been missing to complete the night: “Storms Of Life” had everyone chime in once more, hands lifted and faces smiling. Even though the showcase wasn’t that long (about 50 minutes), I’m sure every person present profited from the positivity the night provided. Needless to mention that the vibes were kept flowing by Oli and Joscha, blazing up the place until the night faded into a glorious orange dawn.
Which brings us back to this color: “Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life (…) and offers emotional strength in difficult times.” Well, I’m definitely going to enhance my attire with one or two orange items. And make sure oranges and carrots become a staple food in my family. Apart from that, a secure source for spontaneity, emotional strength and a positive outlook is the music artists like Exco Levi stand for: “Catch my melodies and rhyme, I no have no time fi mingle ina crime!”..

Review by Gardy Stein, Fotos: Dorothee Georg