Catch A Fire To Feature Tippa Irie And Jr Cat
[Written by Patrick Bean]
Catch A Fire is bringing the heat once again as it presents a 50-year anniversary concert celebration of legendary sound systems Saxon Sound of the United Kingdom and Jamaica’s MetroMedia at CedarBridge Academy Courtyard on May 30,, featuring featuring veteran reggae dancehall artists Tippa Irie and Jr Cat.
Tippa Irie
Fresh from a recent tour of the Netherlands, Brazil, and commanding performance in England, Tippa Irie is primed and ready to set the stage ablaze at the event, bearing the torch for Saxon Studio International, the Godfathers of UK reggae dancehall, with a history dating back to 1976.
Unassuming and unpretentious, Tippa Irie – real name Anthony Henry – may well be the most down-to-earth superstar one might ever come across.
Having started as a Brixton youth entering talent shows, Tippa became the MC who took Saxon international to the masses, scored UK Top 40 hits, was nominated for a Grammy Award with the world-renowned Black Eyed Peas, and wrote the book on UK dancehall.
His early career had him perform as part of Saxon’s legendary MC crew, alongside Smiley Culture, Papa Levi, Asher Senator, Daddy Colonel, Daddy Rusty, Daddy Sandy, and Peter King.
Saxon pioneered the UK “fast talking” MC style in the early 80s, which Tippa helped develop, spawning many imitators within and outside the reggae genre.
The crew was as competitive as they were collaborative, and Tippa benefited from the friction that comes with competition.
“We always used to try to outdo each other,” explained Tippa, during a break in his Brazilian tour “, That’s what set us above a lot of the other sounds.”
The maturation of Tippa has revealed an extensive recording catalogue containing numerous solo and collaborative hits, including ”Hello Darling”, which peaked at 22 on the UK Singles Chart, “Heartbeat”, “Staying Alive 95″, and the Arsenal FC anthem “Shouting for the Gunners”.
Early hits included “It’s Good To Have The Feeling You’re The Best” and “Complain Neighbour”, both of which got national BBC Radio 1 play during the mid-1980s and made him a household name in UK reggae/dancehall.
Tippa assured that he will arrive packing a full arsenal, ready to unload on the local audience at Catch A Fire.
“I think the last time I was there to perform was with Roger Robin a few years ago,” said Tippa, who has also published his autobiography ‘Stick To My Roots: A Music Memoir’. “I’ve been there recently, but I was just doing some dub plates for the sound systems then.
“But I’m excited, man. It’s exciting to come here to work with Saxon, Metromedia and Soldier One.
“Junior Cat’s going to be there as well, so I’m looking forward to it being an exciting show. It’s going to be nice to come back and entertain the people of Bermuda.
“I have some tunes that I know they used to listen to on my album “Koffee Not Fire”. So I’m going to do a couple of the vintage tunes, and then I’ve got a tune called “It’s a Hit Daddy Tip”, which I know the Bermudian people really like.
“Then I’m going to do some new tunes and some of my classic tunes. So they’re going to get a variety of lyrics.
“Sometimes when you go to the session, you kind of feel the vibes of what songs and what tune to do.”
Junior Cat
Not to be outdone or outclassed by any means, the world-renowned Metromedia war machine will have Junior Cat as its representative artist, storm the stage, unleashing four decades of pure dancehall fire from Cockburn Pen.
Famously, the younger brother of Super Cat and top protégé of Early B ‘The Doctor’ Junior Cat – real name Ricardo Maragh – helped shape the very DNA of sound clash warfare with gun-tune anthems like “Inna Mi Gun Mouth” and “Machine Gun Kelly.”
Now, wielding conscious anthems and that lethal freestyle, he’s set to ignite Bermuda with raw ’90s energy and roots wisdom that made him a legend all jhis own.
When Junior Cat grabs the mic and Metro drops ‘de riddim’, the crowd moves, and on May 30, expect the whole island to erupt with vibes.
“We bring the original roots and reality, culture vibes, original veteran dancehall style,” explained Junior Cat, who was a key figure in the golden era of dancehall sound clashes involving legendary systems such as Volcano, Gemini, and King Majesty.
“You know we are originally from Kingston, coming from the school of Killamajaro, and so we have foundation vibes.
The term ‘rude boy’ some people interpret differently than we, because when we say ‘rude boy artist’, we mean somebody who is a ‘ragga’. He preaches reality. Not someone who goes around promoting violence.
“So, in the dancehall we talk about what really goes on in the ghetto, because the rude boy takes the toughest route from the ghetto, and that’s where we come from.”
Originally known as Mr. Docks, Junior Cat has expanded his catalogue to blend roots, rock, reggae, and love songs.
“Back in the days I used to do a lot of ‘gun tunes’… now I have grown and matured enough to know that those lyrics don’t necessarily make me as an artist,” Junior Cat was quoted as saying to the Jamaica Observer in 2013.
Among Junior Cat’s recent recordings is “Sure Shot”, the title cut of a six-track collection of songs over the Sure Shot Riddim, featuring additional songs from Powerman, Librawto, Crock Back, and Culture T.
His latest release, “Rude Bwoy Sumthin,” pays homage to the iconic Gunman riddim and dancehall culture, featuring lyrics that explore themes of street credibility and toughness, blending nostalgia with a modern twist while cautioning youth to avoid badness.
“I listen to Bob Marley and other reggae artists, and the music inspired me from a young age,” said Junior Cat. “And so it goes still with the music.
“The youth gravitate to it, and so we try to inspire them to avoid violence and that thing. We try to teach people that, you know, life is not really as easy as I myself represent, so don’t play around.”
Junior Cat noted that this will be his second time coming to Bermuda, having just recently finished touring England and Canada.
Catch A Fire promoter Jamal Hart put it plain: “This is Jamaica’s iconic Metromedia, Year to Year sound, with special guest Junior Cat and the legendary Saxon Sound System from the UK, bringing Tippa Irie as their special guest.
“And alongside those sounds, Bermuda’s own Souljah 1 holding it down, along with its own surprise local artist.
“So, if you came up on 80s and 90s dancehall. If you remember when the sound system was the heartbeat of the dance … this is your night.”
Catch A Fire
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2026.
Where: North Courtyard at CedarBridge Academy.
Time: 8 pm – 3 am.
Tickets: Available from Freshmens, Fish n Tings, Kit N Caboodle, and PTIX.
Ticket Prices: Early Bird – $50 [limited]; Tier 1 – $65; $75 at the gate; VIP – $100 [includes private entrance, drinks, food, and party favours].
Special offer: Wear something red, gold, and green to be entered in a draw for a special prize!
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