Brooklyn MCs Smif-N-Wessun are celebrating the 30-year anniversary of their debut studio album, “Dah Shinin,” released in January 1995. To that end, they will be doing a live concert at Philadelphia’s City Winery on Friday, July 11th, at 7:30pm local time.
This is a live band show that will see the men performing songs like “Wontime,” “Bucktown,” “Sound Bwoy Bureill,” and “Let’s Get It On.” Tickets and additional information are available on the venue’s website.
The second staging of the Black River Film Festival will take place on June 27th and 28th, 2025, at Cloggy’s On The Beach in Black River, St. Elizabeth. This festival was established with the vision of nurturing emerging filmmakers and sparking creativity in the heart of rural Jamaica. The 2025 lineup of speakers and panelists will feature producers from Netflix series, international co-producers, film distributors, and film attorneys.
Because everything is better with music, there will be a live band performance at the end of Day 1, and an after-party at 10 PM on Day 2. It is important to note that the organizers have announced that recording artists Bugle and Duane Stephenson will be at this year’s Black River Film Festival. Get additional information here.
The upcoming Jerk Food & Music Festival happening on Sunday, June 29th, at The Beehive in Los Angeles, California, will be presented in two parts: lots of jerk food (12pm-4pm), followed by the best in live music (5pm-10pm).
The latter, the live show, will see performances by dancehall heavyweights Baby Cham and Barrington Levy, with support from the SGV Vibes Band as well as Firgo Digital. The concert will be preceded by four hours dedicated to family, food, and fun. There will be lots of games for the kids, including a playground powered by SCOOPS. Click here for tickets.
JC Lodge‘s latest contribution to the music industry is “Beautiful Life,” a slow, groovy reggae tune that was produced by the legendary dub mixer, sound system owner, and record producer King Jammy. “Beautiful Life” was officially released on the 30th of May, 2025.
Although this is a brand-new track, several selectors are already predicting that it will be in heavy rotation this summer. JC Lodge performed this tune beautifully—pun intended. “Beautiful Life” is melodic, soothing, and enchanting. Click here to download it from your preferred music platform.
One of Britain’s most successful reggae bands, Aswad, is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a major concert on Saturday, June 7th, at Chalk Night Club, 13 Pool Valley (Brighton and Hove), in Brighton, United Kingdom.
The men will be performing all their hits: “Don’t Turn Around,” “Shine,” “Give a Little Love,” “African Children,” “Best of My Love,” and much more. Presented by Horizon Promotions in association with Spaine Music Company, this event will commence at 6:30pm local time and will end at 10pm. Click here for tickets.
Dub’n the Creek, an event that was created to honor reggae and dancehall’s sound-system culture, will take place over a three-day period—June 13, 14, and 15, 2025—at Bigfoot Flat Campground in Willow Creek, California. The running hours for each day are as follows: Friday 4pm-12am, Saturday 12pm-12am, and Sunday 12pm-6pm.
Among the performers is Johnny Osbourne, a reggae veteran whose career dates back to the late 1970s, a time when sound systems were one of the main sources used to expose emerging artists.
Basscraft Sound, Dub Siren Hi-Fi and Noble Tobal Sound are just some of the sound systems on the program. For the full lineup, visit the event’s official website at dubnthecreek.com.
The Scholars Juneteenth Gospel Explosion will be held approximately two weeks before the actual Juneteenth celebration. It will be on Friday, June 6th, at Lonoke Baptist Church (1841 Lonoke Avenue) in Texarkana, Arkansas.
There will be a live performance by gospel recording artist and evangelist Kierra Sheard. The event will also feature The Scholars Twin City Youth Choir. For more information, call 903-276-8813.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 