This Emancipation Day – Monday, August 1st – Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica, will come alive with the annual Mobay Jerk & Food Festival.
Although it is primarily a food show, the event has several other features: bounce about, face painting, ball pits, drinking and eating contests and live performances from top acts in both the gospel and secular genres.
Among the artists booked for this year are: Jah Vinci, Alaine, Shane O, Petra Kaye and Goddy Goddy. Additional music will be provided by ZJ Liquid, DJ Shem and Trophy Sniper Sound; while MC Blazze and Lady Energy will do hosting duties. This is an all day family event that will begin at 10am. Entrance fee is $2,500 JMD.
International recording artist Romain Virgo has added a stop at Moe’s Alley to his upcoming schedule. He will perform at the venue on Wednesday, August 10th starting at 9pm local time.
As is the case with most shows done at Moe’s Alley, this event is a strict 21 and over concert. Any ticket holder unable to present valid identification indicating that they are at least 21 years of age will not be admitted in, and will not be eligible for a refund.
Moe’s Alley is located at 1535 Commercial Way in Santa Cruz, California. Admission fee is $35 USD.
On August 6th and 7th Jamaica’s food, music and culture will be on full display at the Jamaica 0121 Festival in the UK. The theme for 2022 is all about celebrating the island’s sixty years of independence. The event will not be held at Victoria Square this year, instead it will be at Aston Park on Trinity Road in Birmingham.
To mark this historical date in time they have invited Freddy McGregor, King Yellowman, Dawn Penn, Janet Kay, Wayne Marshall, K’reema, Brian Holt, Tenna Star, Sagittarius Band and a host of other artists and musicians to perform live.
The two main objectives of the Jamaica 0121 Festival is to, 1: show Jamaica’s influence on the British culture, and 2: display the diverse spirit of Birmingham. Get tickets here.
The UK based organizers of Jamaica-60 have announced that Jamaican reggae star Hempress Sativa will headline the all women concert at Junction 1 – Morris Park, Glasgow – on August 17. Sativa will be supported by her personal backing band, The Unconquerebels.
The event, which will run from 5pm to 11pm is being done in honor of Marcus Garvey Day. Get tickets for this concert on skiddle.
The Jamaica Independence Foundation Inc. (JIFINYC) will be celebrating sixty years of Jamaica’s independence with an event dubbed The People’s Ball. It will be held on Saturday, August 13 at the Crest Hollow Country Club – 8325 Jericho Turnpike – in Woodbury (Long Island), New York.
The affair, which is strict formal attire, will see one of Jamaica’s classiest performers – Richie Stephens – doing a set. He will be supported by DJ Norie (from Power 105.1) and DJ Roy (from Road International). The master of ceremony for the evening is Andrew Clarke. Get tickets here.
Stephens is currently promoting two singles: Reverse The Curse, a recently released track that will be featured on his upcoming album with BoomRich Productions; and Defend Jamaica, a festival tune that he wrote for Nitty Kutchie to compete in this year’s Festival Song Competition.
Just as reggae music is a consequential part of Jamaica’s culture, so is Rastafarianism salient in the reggae industry. Admittedly, since the commercialization of the genre the righteous message has, in some instances, been diluted and/or substituted for a more marketable one.
That said, we are fortunate to still have some sincere Rasta-reggae artists who continue to promote unworldly content despite ongoing efforts by negative forces to push the opposite.
Mykal Rose – the former front-man of Black Uhuru, a Grammy award winning reggae artist and a Rastafarian – has just shared one of the most refreshing Rasta-reggae tunes so far for 2022. The song – titled Jah Loves Me More Everyday – which is produced by Big Feet Records, is now available on all music platforms. Its release was carefully coordinated to coincide with the celebration of Haile Selassie‘s earth day – a figure venerated as God by Rastafarians.
Rose, who is also an esteemed songwriter, gives listeners an insight into his relationship with the Most High, as he sings: “Jah loves me more everyday – thinking of the Almighty makes me glad – no need to be sad – with Jah in my life guiding me everyday – cause I know the way.”
The team responsible for the production and promotion of this record is as follows: Mykal Rose (lead and harmony vocals), Pam Hall (backing vocals), Josh Harris (bass and keyboards), Santa Davis (drums), Jallanzo (guitar), Umberto Echo (mixing engineer), Fitzroy Francis (music supervisor), Earle Holder (mastering engineer), Georgia Tann Studios (artwork), Maria Jackson Ent. (media relations) and Jeremy Dickerson (videographer). Jah Loves Me More Everyday is on the Big Feet Records label.
In 2021 while most of the entertainment industry was still grappling with the negative effects of covid-19, Sheldon Edwards – a true visionary – conceptualized the imprint we now know as Pandemic Records. Although the label initially started with just him, in no time it became a team of four which now includes: Rodrick, Garth, Leroy and of course Sheldon.
They stepped out on the global stage approximately one year ago with an inspirational dancehall single called World Prayer, performed by Ras Kronik and Chillum. The success of that song served as the catalyst to the now trending Logic Riddim, which came out on June 16, 2022.
Logic Riddim is a dancehall compilation that has a blend of emerging and established artists. It features Munga Honorable, Diffa Element, Sizzla Kalonji, Fantan Mojah, Chillum, Shava, Little Hero, Mr Easy, Jah Soulja, Skystar, Tabeta Cshae, Pezd, Ras Kronik and Kash Promise Move. The well produced – positive – project is giving hope to dancehall lovers who are distraught by the direction the genre is going in.
With songs from the Logic Riddim on heavy rotation all over the world, the team at Pandemic Records feel inspired to do more. When asked what’s next for the camp, they said: “BIG THINGS, We have recently launched a Real Energy Merch Website where fans of Pandemic Records can get their favorite songs on t-shirts and other stuff!!! We are putting in a lot of work we never stop because it is definitely big things for Pandemic Records.”
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 