From Germany with love Dancehall diehards fly across Atlantic for Kartel/Mavado duel

For Dennis, the flight from Germany to Jamaica wasn’t just a 12-hour journey across the Atlantic. It was something he had dreamt about for years.

Stepping onto the grounds of Plantation Cove, St Ann for A Taste of Sumfest over the weekend, the die-hard dancehall enthusiast — kitted out in a fresh pair of Wallabees Clarks, a cross-body bag, and a G-Shock watch — was practically vibrating with anticipation. He knew he wasn’t going to get a blood-and-thunder rerun of the legendary 2008 Sting showdown between Vybz Kartel and Mavado. But the sight of the Gaza King and the Gully Gad sharing a single stage had him excited.

“I know it will be different,” Dennis grinned, his eyes lighting up.

In 2008, Mavado and Vybz Kartel turned Sting into a lyrical battlefield, locking horns in a heavyweight, no-holds-barred clash as bitter rivals at the height of the Gaza-Gully era. Eighteen years later, at A Taste of Sumfest, the tension has given way to unity, as old wounds have healed and two dancehall giants shared a stage with a completely different energy.

“That’s crazy,” Dennis said. “I just want to see that experience.”

For Dennis, no price tag on airfare or hotel rooms could keep him away from this moment in dancehall history. And he didn’t come alone, flanked by his mates, Ben and Paolo — both rocking custom Reggae Sumfest tees emblazoned with Gaza and Gully insignias.

“I ordered them when I was in Germany and the man dropped them off my hotel,” he shared with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

While Dennis came for the music, he also wanted his friends to experience the culture that had captivated him for years.

“I want to see and appreciate dancehall music. They don’t understand English or Jamaican. I do but I told them to come it will be fun, that’s Ben and Palo, we just friends, I am the one that know dancehall,” he said, pointing to his friends as they admired the atmosphere around the venue.

Dancehall isn’t just a playlist for Dennis; it’s a lifestyle he’s imported wholesale back home.

“Back home, everyone knows my love for Jamaica. I go every dancehall show listen dancehall and look … ,” he said before pointing to his Clarks Wallabees. “I have a lot of these because of dancehall.”

He then flashed his wrist with a classic Gaza-inspired flourish: “Mi G-Shock watch! Timeless — same so wi dweet ah Portmore!”