The 2024 staging of Kansas City’s Annual Reggae Music & Jerk Festival returns on September 13, 14, and 15 at the Berkley River Front Park, a beautiful green space along the Missouri River (1298 Riverfront Drive). Powered by Friends of Reggae International, a Missouri-based non-profit corporation, this year promises traditional Jerk food cook-offs, arts, crafts, poetry, cultural drummers, dancers, and of course live music.

There will be two stages and over twenty reggae and world music bands live in action! Headlined by international reggae star Luciano, the event will also feature Kenyatta Hill, Empress Akua, The Meditations, and that is just to name a few.

Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land is a five-part documentary series that follows the journeys of Leroy Sibbles, Johnny Osbourne, Jerry Brown, Nana McLean, and Roy & Yvonne at the height of the golden age of reggae. Through rare archives, it takes viewers from Kingston to Kensington Market and shows how reggae music made roots in Canada against all odds.

Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land will premiere at Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor Street West) in Toronto, Ontario, on Thursday, August 22nd, starting at 8:00 p.m. The series will then be available for streaming on nfb.ca as of August 23rd.

The inaugural Peoples Festival Tribute to Bob Marley will welcome Etana, Kenyatta Hill, Reggae Lou, Real Water No Tap, Gwapstar and Lena Aura to Victory North (2603 Whitaker Avenue) in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday, September 21st.

From 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., attendees will have access to courtyard events that include family-friendly activities, food vendors, arts and crafts, and African and steel drumming. The indoor concert will commence at 7:00 p.m. For additional information and links to tickets, visit www.peoplesfestival.com.

The 24th edition of Reggae Summer Night will be held on Saturday, August 24th at the Radbod Cultural Center (An den Fördertürme 4 59075) in Hamm, Germany.

It will be headlined by international reggae artist Anthony B, with additional performances by Rootsriders, Teacha Dee, Rekall, and Jah Culture. The live show will be followed by an after party with Boneshaker Sound. Click here to buy tickets.

Approximately two years ago, Big Feet Records released “Protection.” This is an inspirational reggae song that was penned and performed by 1990s breakout artist Keith Morgan, who is better known by his stage name Junior Kelly. A few days ago, on August 16, its official video premiered on YouTube, and based on the comments, viewers are loving both the audio and the visuals.

The music video, which was directed by Mestizo Karibe and edited by Jordon Morris, was shot in Chuspa, a village in the Venezuelan state of Vargas. It shows clips of Kelly moving around the village, seemingly prepping for a show, as well as highlights from some of his past performances, and a main scene of him singing “Protection” on the beach.

Credits for this record are as follows: executive and creative producer Josh Harris played both bass and keyboard, Santa Davis added the drums, and Jallanzo did the lead guitar. It was harmonized by Junior Kelly and Nikki Burt and mixed and mastered by Tommi Tikkenen and Earle Holder, respectively.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “PROTECTION”

Fantan Mojah, Exco Levi, Iba Mahr, Steele, Eyesus, and Kairo McLean are just some of the artists confirmed for the High Priest Reggae Festival, happening on Friday, September 6th at the Jamaican Canadian Association (995 Arrow Road) in Toronto, Ontario.

This festival is a tribute to Denise Jones, an exceptional woman who was widely regarded as the preeminent voice in reggae music promotion and advancement in Canada. For additional information and to buy tickets, visit Ticket Gateway.