The 2023 TD Jerk Fest is set for Friday, August 11th through Sunday, August 13th at Centennial Park in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. It’s a three-day event that will be filled with various food choices – with an emphasis on jerk food – live music, and overall good vibes.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Johnny Gill on the 11th, with Luciano, Destra and Cham (formerly known as Baby Cham) on the 12th and 13th. Get additional information via jerkfestival-dot-ca.
Popular live music venue, Flamingo Cantina – located at 515 East 6th Street (between Red River & Neches) in Austin, Texas – has just shared their full schedule for the month of August.
On it is veteran reggae artist Mykal Rose, who is confirmed for Friday, August 11th. His twenty-one and older 9pm show will also feature Micah Shalom and Jah Bill. Tickets are available on the Flamingo Cantina’s website.
Next weekend – August 12th and 13th – 406 Events Lawn will host Reggae Under The Rims. This is two days of live reggae music and Afro-Latino beats, starring Jamaican reggae singer Prezident Brown and American Afro-Latin band B-Side Players.
On Saturday (reggae day) Prezident Brown will be joined by Reggae Angels and Brady Shammar, two noteworthy emerging reggae acts. 406 Events Lawn is located at 323 North 14th Street in Billings, Montana.
Veteran reggae artist Mikey General is still on a stint in the United Kingdom. He’s been in the country for the past few weeks promoting his latest single, Up And At Them, which is on the Survive Riddim.
The Rastafarian singer has been doing live shows, interviews and making public appearances across England, and will continue to do so in the month of August. As a matter of fact, he has just been added to the upcoming Marcus Garvey Earthstrong Celebration, scheduled for Thursday, August 17 at Alchemy – 28-30 Saint George’s Walk – in Croydon.
International reggae recording artist AJ Brown – who is also the current lead singer for the world re-known Third World Band – will be having a launch party for his new album, Shots of Love, on Sunday, August 6th, at Blue Martini in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Brown will be supported by fellow Jamaican vocalist Tamara B, who is also is wife, and Antigua & Barbuda’s reggae ambassador Causion.
Incidentally, Causion is also promoting his recently released EP, The Mission Is in Progress, shared in late June on his earth-day. He and his team are currently focusing on the record’s lead single, Thank You, which he’s very passionate about. Causion is sentimentally attached to this track because it was penned prior to his illness, but took on a whole new meaning once he was on the road to recovery.
The Mission is in Progress is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, Tidal and all other streaming platforms.
Reggae recording artist Zally is currently promoting his new EP, Am Reggae, released some weeks ago in late May. As the name implies, this is a 100% reggae record. It has a total of seven tracks, no features, and is filled with practical life messages.
Am Reggae can be streamed and/or downloaded from iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, Tidal, and all other music platforms.
Manchester recording artist Ragga Lox, who’s been living in the United States since the late 80s, has just delivered his long awaited thirteen-track studio album. Released on Sunday, July 23rd, the LP is called Climbing, and it features collaborations with Revelashan and Rob Symeon.
The inspiration for the record came from the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Ragga Lox. As a matter of fact, the lead single – Spliff & Beer – was penned after he lost some close friends and family members to the virus. Once the first track was shared – in January 2022 – and based on the positive feedback it got, Lox immediately began working on the full album with the hopes of releasing it last summer. However, after several delays and setbacks, he and his team opted to push it forward to now.
Climbing has a perfect mix of reggae (Reach For The Stars, They Shall Never, Reggae Island, Mama Said & Families); dancehall (Spliff & Beer, Tough Times & Touch); and even world music fused with hip-hop (Climbing, Reggae Memory Lane, Try & Royalty). All songs were done with the highest standards. The songwriting and vocal performances are flawless, and the overall production quality is beyond reproach.
That said, the thing that stands out the most on this LP is Ragga Lox‘s story. He brags about his skills as a lyricist while putting those very skills on display. He narrates the tale of losing his father, mother and mentors. His Rastafarian beliefs and way of life are artfully painted throughout this record. In short, Climbing is a five-star album, and if nothing else it shows that Ragga Lox has climbed his way to the top of the musical mountain.
CLICK HERE TO STREAM / DOWNLOAD “CLIMBING”
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 