Nine Night music tradition hinges on gospel, ska, mento and reggae, Upsetta Band leader says

Nine Night celebrations in Jamaica still depend heavily on live music, according to Upsetta Band leader Demetrius, who appeared on TVJ’s Daytime Live on July 17 to describe how songs shape the wake’s atmosphere of comfort, unity and celebration.

Demetrius said a typical Nine Night runs in clear musical stages. The evening opens with gospel to invite the presence of God, then moves into ska. Mento follows as the segment many guests anticipate most, before a reggae set closes the sequence.

One reggae number, he stressed, is non-negotiable: Freddie McKay’s Picture on the Wall. Demetrius called the song a staple that is simply needed, saying no Nine Night feels complete without it.

He traced the custom’s roots to informal gatherings where mourners kept rhythm with pot covers and shakers. That practice has grown into full band arrangements with keyboards, drums and bass guitar. Music matters, he argued, because it works as therapy. It gives people space to reflect on memories of the deceased and to express themselves freely, though still within moderate bounds.

Asked how listeners can book the group, Demetrius gave the band’s number as 829-6702 and said its social media handle is upsetta_band on all platforms.

The segment ended with Upsetta Band performing live Nine Night repertoire, including Hill and Gully Rider and other call-and-response favourites familiar to wake-goers across the island.