Photos by Maria Izarraulde
In what’s now an annual tradition, LargeUp has brought the dancehall/bashment/soca/Caribbean vibes to Miami’s Winter Music Conference (WMC) each March since 2012 with our Winter Music Massive party. This year was no different as the Rice and Peas crew (DJ Gravy, Micro Don and Orijahnal Vibez, minus Max Glazer, who’s currently on tour with Chronixx) headed out to Sweet Liberty on South Beach with the legendary Sister Nancy in tow.
Always classic, Nancy’s been on a wave since getting sampled by Kanye West on last year’s “Famous.” The broader music world, to which she may have once been a footnote, has taken real note this time: Witness Pitchfork Media’s recent proclamation that “Bam Bam” is the greatest dancehall song of all-time, and this write-up in The New Yorker. Naturally, Nancy’s signature tune was part of her performance last night, her first ever in Miami. Dancehall’s original international lady deejay also ran through other classic recordings for the Techniques label including “One Two” and “Transport Connection,” all delivered in a sound system style — that sound system being LargeUp.
Dancehall veteran Alley Cat warmed up the crowd before Nancy with his selection of ’90s tunes, while LAZABEAM of Jus Now livened things up with live drums, as Micro Don, Gravy and Orijahnal followed Love Taps and DJ Iron Lyon at the turntables. See the highlights in this photo series.
