Agent Sasco gets up close
SHARPLY dressed in a white jacket and navy blue set, Agent Sasco delighted fans with his captivating performance at the recent Jamaica National (Jn)-hosted Superfan Competition wrap event.
JN hosted 20 customers, their plus ones, and a few team members for an intimate concert with the superstar at Reggae Mountain Lounge at Skyline Drive.
After posing for photos, he launched into some of his biggest hits, among them Hope River and Nothing At All. It was a display of versatility and stage presence with the up-close set-up.
The artiste got the chance to dialogue with his adoring audience on his musical journey.
“At sixteen years old, as a deejay, they said I was off-key, and I didn’t know what that was. Musician [Steven] “Lenky” Marsden pulled me aside; he played a note on a keyboard and said there was nothing wrong with my ears, I just needed to listen to the instrument with the rhythm, and that’s how we developed a relationship,” he shared.
He then went into performing Step Pon Dem, a song released in 2004 on the Diwali rhythm.
Agent Sasco was the first deejay to act on the rhythm produced by Marsden. This marked a turning point in his career.
As the concert progressed, Agent Sasco shed his jacket to deliver songs like
Roughest and Toughest and
Fade Away from his catalogue — the audience was thrilled.
With the music draw spanning his earlier years as Assassin, the artiste was able to show the metamorphosis to Sasco as he dropped tunes such as Winning Right Now, My Song, as well as Almighty Protect Me.
“I’ve gone through quite a change from my Assassin days. One couldn’t expect me to be the same person with the same views, aspirations, and goals. And when I realised I was depressed at 30, I realised it was because I wasn’t in alignment with the things at my core,” the singer told the Jamaica Observer.
Before performing his hit song Grateful, a collab with Stephen Marley, he used the intimate nature of his small audience to get personal.
“From the age of 28 to 32 I was depressed. I’m naturally miserable; people might even call me an old soul. But my 30th birthday was the worst day of my life. In Jamaica, we can’t discuss our issues because we look weak. My mother always said to give thanks, and that was when I understood gratitude, and it has been one of the things I’ve discovered, the attitude of gratitude,” shared Sasco.
Currently working on his third album, scheduled to be released in August 2024, he admitted that music is one of many things on his agenda. He said among the projects on his plate is Mulberry Valley, a farming, eco-resort, and wellness space he is creating with his wife. He also mentioned a few corporate and philanthropic partnerships on the horizon.
Carlene Edwards, senior manager of promotions and sponsorships at JN, shared the inspiration for the JN Superfan Competition: “We wanted to do something special with [Sasco] — a chance for our customers to have an opportunity to be in the same space with him, take photos, and be closer to him. The winners of the competition were able to bring a plus one and we have some key staff as well, so about 40 people are here tonight.”
She added that Agent Sasco aligned with JN’S values, noting his philanthropic endeavours.
Sasco expressed appreciation for the “up close” nature of the gathering, hinting at the possibility of that kind of event for his upcoming album premiere.
“I’d also like to do something similar to launch the next album — something intimate with people who have been there since the beginning,” he said, underscoring the importance of connection with and appreciation for his loyal supporters.