Windel Beneto Edwards -- aka Gyptian to his fans -- made an offstage entrance before a recent 4th & B show, singing "Is There a Place," off the popular Seasons' Riddim, to a crowd of screaming women. The calm, sexy Rasta was wearing a bright red Polo sweater, jeans and shoes, causing him to blend painfully into the red stage lighting. Fortunately, his shoulder-length dreads were corn-rolled to the back, showing his handsome face.
Backed by a four-piece band, Gyptian sang many of his hits, including "Mama Don't Cry" and "I Can Feel Your Pain," all in a flat, almost monotone voice without much apparent enthusiasm. Continuing to tracks off his new album, Hold You, he performed "Nah Let Go," finally acknowledging the crowd by coming closer to the front of the stage with more energy. Audible, but muffled, Gyptian spoke to the crowd, before singing his first breakout hit, "Serious Times," but strangely looking as if he was singing in front of a camera instead of the crowd. The sex symbol continued with the same tempo as he performed a few more tracks, teasing the women with his signature growl.
Then, out of no where, Gyptian put on a burst of energy as the band cued his crossover hit, "Hold You (Hold Yuh)," dancing and finally venturing away from the center. The crowd went wild, and began singing and twirling T-shirts in the air.
Perhaps it was fatigue that plagued Gyptian or it could be that reggae artists tend to get away with lackluster performances in San Diego, due to its small Caribbean community. Regardless, his stage persona needs more development to attract larger turnouts to his shows. International success has thrown Gyptian into an arena requiring VP Records (his label) to invest in artist development, in addition to the heavy promotion of his music. The reality is, though, that touring puts money in the pockets of artists -- much more so than album sales.
