On Saturday, January 21, veteran reggae artist Don Carlos will perform at Moe’s Alley – 1535 Commercial Way – in Santa Cruz, California. He will be joined by the band Reggae Angels and popular reggae selector DJ Spleece.
Advance tickets, which are going for $40, can be purchased from Moe’s Alley’s website; and starting time is 8pm.
LL Cool J and the team at Rock The Bells are putting together a hip-hop inspired cruise that includes live performances, parties and appearances by some of the biggest MCs, DJs and producers in the rap game. It will set sail from Miami to the Bahamas in November, 2023.
The vacation kicks off with a special performance by Miami’s own Trick Daddy and Trina. Attendees that purchase their cabin before January 18, 2023, will be invited to hang out with both Trick Daddy and Trina at a private cocktail happy hour prior to setting sail. Get additional information here.
Jungle Fiah Restaurant and Lounge – located at unit #5 in the AMC Plaza in Bayside, Portmore – will be bringing back the popular Thursday Night Live series. It will commence this week, on January 5th, and will feature performances by Turbulence, Admiral Bailey, Willful Skillful, Kimeco and Lazer Mattress.
Thursday Night Live, which is absolutely free to the public, will be held this and every last Thursday of the month. Starting time is 8pm sharp!
One of Jamaica’s most respected music festivals – Rebel Salute – will resume its live in-person show this month! It will be held at Plantation Cove in St. Ann, Jamaica, on January 20 and 21.
This year’s lienup includes a range of local and international reggae and dancehall artists. Third World, Lady G, Duane Stephenson, Louie Culture, Horace Andy, Bling Dawg, Leroy Sibbles, Capleton, Luciano, Sanchez etc. are just some of the confirmed acts that will be spread out over two nights.
Links to the full lineup, tickets, and additional information are available on Rebel Salute’s website.
One party that should be added to your Reggae Month calendar is Ribbittt, an event celebrating the roots of dancehall culture. Set for Wavz Beach in Negril on Saturday, February 11th, it will feature the likes of Luciano, I Wayne, Josey Wales, Peter Metro and Professor Nuts. Additional information will be shared in the coming weeks.
This year has been an interesting one for Ghanaian reggae artist Tradition Man Wolo. He went from obscurity within the reggae industry to being known and highly respected by key players in under twelve months. After playing gigs in and around Accra (Ghana) with his now defunct reggae band, Club Tradition, many years earlier, Tradition Man Wolo finally released his debut album on February 2nd, 2022.
The LP, aptly titled Reggae Man, features nine authentic reggae tracks that were produced and mixed by Bobby Roy at Roy’s Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, and mastered by Mike Caplan at Lion and Fox Studios in Washington DC. Tradition Man says his music is made with love and describes it as “affectionate, honest and approachable, even with difficult subjects.” Each song on the album confirms the aforementioned statement.
So far he has shared two official videos from the project: Back Again (track #2) and Come Home (track #1). The video for Back Again, which came out in April, was shot in the United States by OTFILMS and edited in Jamaica by Maria Jackson 27. While the latest clip, Come Home, released a few weeks ago – on December 5th – was shot in Ghana by Director Tee.
Tradition Man Wolo is closing off 2022 on a high note! His album is doing good on all streaming platforms, and his video for Come Home has made it to the top 5 on YouTube’s Music Chart in Ghana.
As 2022 comes to an end, Josh Harris – founder, CEO and owner of Big Feet Records – would like to thank everyone on his team: Santa Davis, Jallanzo, Tommi Tikkanen and Earle Holder (musicians and engineers); Georgia C. Tann (graphic designer and web master); Jeremy Dickerson (videographer); and Maria Jackson (media relations and publicist) for being an ongoing support as he continues to produce and promote top-tier reggae music.
He would also like to thank all the talented recording artists, songwriters and performers who worked with Big Feet Records in 2022: Bushman, Twiggi, Chuck Fenda, Lukie D, Ken Boothe, Hugh English, Linval Thompson, Torch, Mykal Rose, Tony Curtis, Anthony B, Junior Kelly, Lutan Fyah and Natural Black. Special thanks must also be extended to veteran vocalist Nikki Burt, who is always ready and willing to harmonize Big Feet‘s tracks.
Last but not least, a big thanks to everyone who streamed and/or downloaded music produced by Big Feet Records, especially in the last twelve months. Be on the lookout for more great music in 2023.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 