It’s been 40 years since Vincent and Patricia Chin set up VP Records in Jamaica, Queens; the success of that shop would prompt them to found VP Records, now one of the most important sources of reggae and dancehall music in the world.
To celebrate, VP hosts a showcase with some of its illustrious alumni: Elephant Man, whose 2003 hit “Pon di River, Pon di Bank” and collaborations with Wyclef Jean and Busta Rhymes helped further blur the lines between dancehall and hip hop; Junior Reid, the former Black Uhuru vocalist whose 1989 classic “One Blood” has spawned countless remakes and interpolations; Estelle, the genre-bending, Grammy-winning English singer best known for her Kanye West collaboration “American Boy” and now has her own album, Lover’s Rock, with VP; and Grammy-nominated Raging Fyah, a five-piece band from Kingston, Jamaica that makes music bound to the roots rock reggae tradition.
The event will take place at Summerstage Performance Venue (Central Park) in New York on Saturday, August 10th from 5 to 10 PM.
On June 25th, Karamanti released her 3rd studio album, “Hurt People.” This is a ten-track project – three poems and seven songs – with one concept; serving as an inspiration to those that have struggled with abuse and/or depression.
