Jamaicans at home and abroad will have plenty of entertainment for the nation’s 59th Independence. There are a slew of reggae and dancehall events, both virtual and in-person, that are scheduled for August 6th.
One such event is AfroJams, an online celebration that will see performances by Aiesha, Konshens, Jo Mersa Marley and Julian Marley. It will broadcast live at 8PM EST on Xfinity Channel 1623 (U.S.A.), as well as on Facebook and YouTube.
Tomorrow, Saturday, July 31st, Sizzla Kalonji and his crew will host the Crank Up Bike Show at the Trelawny Stadium. It will feature two of the country’s most entertaining bike crews: Rush Riders and the Crank Up Riders. Music will be provided by Screaming Target, Mop Head, Fready, Tarek and others.
This is a paid event; entrance fee for adults is $1,000 JMD, while for kids it’s $500. Food and refreshments will also be on sale. All patrons are being asked to wear their mask.
On August 28th, emerging reggae artist Skan King will celebrate the release of his first EP, Faith in Work, with a launch at Grafton Studio (2B Grafton Road) in Kingston, Jamaica.
This is a free event that is open to the public, and one that will feature performances from several artists. Among them will be veteran roots-reggae singer Mikey General. He will be joined by Gideon, Joseph Mathias, Shemana and more.
As Jamaicans all over the world celebrate their 59th year of independence on August 6th, the city of Miami, in collaboration with Shannan Ighodaro, will join the festivities by presenting an event dubbed Reggae Summer Splash.
It will be held on Saturday, August 7th at Bunche Park Pool (located at 15727 NW 22nd Avenue) in Miami Gardens, Florida.
As the name implies, the affair will feature live reggae music from top-tier Jamaican artists. The two main headliners are Grammy award-winning reggae singer Mykal Rose and dancehall recording artist Red Rat. This event is powered by Inner Circle.
After a year-long hiatus, Dub-Stuy heralds the return of good vibes with a new installment in their riddim series. This time, they take on one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable riddims in history with the Answer 2021 Riddim. The Brooklyn-based sound system collective and record label calls upon an international line-up of top features, led by legendary duo Luciano & Mikey General, Spain’s Sr Wilson and Brooklyn’s own Jonny GoFigure.
Leading the charge on the vocals, Luciano and Mikey General return to top form, bringing us back to the heyday of the 90’s roots revival. With their soaring harmonies and golden voices, “Redemption” calls for a return to conscious music while uplifting the listener with an infectious hook. Sr. Wilson comes next, with his ‘Foodie Session’, uniting the world over a shared love for street food cultures. Finally, hometown sensation Jonny GoFigure mashes up the dance lyrically on ‘A Different Answer’.
As a lead up to the EP’s release, Dub-Stuy recently dropped the music video for the EP’s single “Redemption” with Luciano and Mikey General.
On Sunday, August 8th, veteran reggae singer Nadine Sutherland and gospel recording artist Junior Tucker will perform at a family fun day event in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The affair, which will be held at 1585 SW Cashmere Blvd., is a celebration of Jamaica’s 59th independence.
The live show that starts at 5:30PM will be preceded by a soccer tournament which kicks off in the morning at 9AM. Other family friendly activities are also on the schedule.
Rastafarian reggae artist Rufftop Rock I, who hails from both the Roses Hill, St. Andrew and Allman Hill, St. Catherine communities in Jamaica, has just released his first EP. It’s a four-track extended play project titled The World Needs Love, and it comes to us courtesy of Reggae Vibes Music.
With the exception of Life Is What You Make It, track number three, all the other songs have been featured on previously released rhythm-driven projects. The World Needs Love (track #1) is on the Reggae Star Riddim, In These Times (track #2) is on the World Rebirth Riddim and Unity (track #4) is on the Reggae Love & Unity Riddim.
All the aforementioned compilations were released by Reggae Vibes Music, the imprint that is now representing Rufftop Rock I. The team initially wanted to put out a full album with approximately ten tracks, but they instead opted for an EP as they felt it was a better way to introduce Rufftop to the masses.
As for his part, Rufftop Rock I was the one who decided to call the EP The World Needs Love, because based on all that is happening right now he genuinely believes that to be the case. When asked what he would like people to take away from this project he said the following: “compete with no one but yourself, try to be a better version of yourself everyday, and know that everything you see around you is an idea that came from us so just be your best self everyday.”
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 