Sting & Shaggy: The 44/876 Tour

Shaggy overwhelms Sting - And the Arena dances to reggae...

The Caribbean in the Arena. Sting & Shaggy, aided by the breath-taking heat, transform the amphitheatre into a slice of the Caribbean, flocking to 50-60 year-olds from Verona, Italians, French, and Germans, as well as young people curious to hear the odd reggae couple. A pop melting pot of ages and cultures perfectly in tune with the desired and sought-after fusion of influences by Sting, a long-time master of the flexibility of the pentagram and of music. The former Police member and Mr. Boomastic have only recently met, but on stage they demonstrate an engaging chemistry that reverberates through the audience, captivated by Sting's clear, clean, and incisive falsetto voice and the Jamaican rapper's bravado, brilliantly engaging the nearly twelve thousand people in the stalls and stands.

The stage is pared-back, as the simplicity of reggae dictates: a black curtain behind the musicians, a minimal lighting system, focused more on the audience than the performers. Supporting them is an evenly distributed band: Sting's musicians Dominic Miller (guitar), Josh Freese (drums), and Rufus Miller (guitar), while Shaggy has brought along keyboardist Kevon Webster and backing vocalists (both excellent, rapping prodigies) Monique Musique and Gene Noble. We begin with a Jamaican version of "Englishman in New York": Sting, wearing a tracksuit with a white band, a tour T-shirt, and a physique that certainly doesn't match his 67th birthday (he turns 67 on October 2nd); Shaggy in a Panama hat, a white shirt, dark pants, and a Jamaican flag in his hand. 

The interplay between roles is immediate, and the chorus becomes "I'm a Jamaican in New York." The two artists immediately rally the audience: the audience is deeply involved, but they have to reckon with the novelty of the album "44/876," which not everyone is familiar with. Sting & Shaggy's skill lies precisely in turning this limitation into a strength. So on "Morning is Coming," Sting launches into a bass riff and takes us back in time with "Everything she does is magic." Shaggy sings part of his 1993 "Oh, Carolina," and Sting launches into "We'll be together." But it's with "Message in a Bottle" that the Arena explodes and starts dancing. 

It's no use, it's the old hits that heat things up. Sting knows this and dresses himself in humility, handing his and the Police's songs over to Jamaica: in the transition from Reggae 'n' Roll to full-on reggae, some songs actually gain from it. The hip-pop and rap tones give a livelier and more engaging rhythm—and flavour—even to Sting's poignant ballads. Like when Shaggy asks for the cell phone flashlights to be turned on... The chord of "Fields of Gold" hits and the Arena turns the moment magical.

There's no respite, as we journey between past and present with overwhelming rhythms. It's impossible to keep your feet still. We dance, indeed, to "If You Love Somebody" and the song that launched this adventure, "Don't Make Me Wait." Reaching a chord with audiences, especially in the United States, it prompted the two artists to lock themselves in the recording studio, record the album, and then embark on a world tour. This tour is bringing them much satisfaction, and features a Sting unlike any we've seen before: the cool English professor dances, sways, and laughs. Unbelievable, reggae works miracles. The nearly two-hour concert also features tributes to the distant past, with "Angel of the Morning" and to the great Bob Marley: his "Get Up Stand Up" is as relevant today as it was then, and Shaggy harangues the audience. Especially after "Dreaming in the USA," taken from the album they wrote with Sting. After a brief courtroom scene, the guitar riff ushers in the masterpiece that is "Shape of My Heart." "Walking on the Moon," "Roxanne," "So Lonely," and "Boombastic" take centre stage. Sting encores with "Fragile."

(c) L'Arena by Paola Colaprisco