Born on 420, Stephen “Ragga” Marley Invites You To A Blazing Birthday Celebration
Now in its third year, Kaya Fest was launched with a mission that goes beyond music. Don’t mistake this event for just a “smoke out.” Yes the festival kicks off on April 20, which is also Stephen Marley’s birthday—and just happens to coincide with 4/20, the official herbalists’ holiday. But Kaya Fest’s stated purpose is “Education before Recreation.” More specifically, the festival’s goal is “to educate the people of the many uses of this plant as well as to inspire and encourage positive public awareness.” But of course music and herb is a perfect combination, and nobody pairs them better than the Marley family. Story Continues After The Jump… (more…)Category: Festivals
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MoBay Artists Shine at Sumfest 2018
Rygin King, Teejay, and Tommy Lee Rip Dancehall Night In Front Of Hometown Crowd Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest has been a world-class music festival since its inception in 1993, but the 2018 edition of the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth was more than that: it was a chance for redemption in Montego Bay. Since January of 2018, Jamaica’s tourist mecca had been under a state of emergency due to a spike in gang violence. While the military crackdown did manage to reduce the killings, it wasn’t great for the tourism industry. Sumfest has traditionally provided a boost to the local economy each summer, but this year they did more than that—they brought hope back to the Second City. A stellar performance by three of MoBay’s most promising artists—Tommy Lee, Teejay, and Rygin King—sent a message to the streets that there is another way to progress in life. In the words of Downsound Entertainment CEO Josef Bogdanovich. “It’s really about stop the killing and let’s get real and try to make some money and live a good life.” Video, Photos, and Full Story After the Jump… (more…) -
The Worst of the ‘Best Of The Best’ Instagram Comments After Epic Mavado Fail
How Them Fi Deal With The Gully Gad So?
This past Memorial Day Weekend the Best Of The Best music festival put on their 11th annual stage show at Miami’s Bayfront Park. Just like every year the show kicked of in the early afternoon and went on until midnight presenting many of “the best of the best” acts in the reggae and dancehall fraternity. Over they years BOTB has brought some amazing musical moments. However this year’s show ended on a rather sour note. When midnight rolled around without Mavado—the show’s headliner—setting foot on stage to perform. Acts billed for this year’s show included the likes of Jahmiel, Spice, Konshens, Aidonia and Christopher Martin—not to mention veteran acts like Barrington Levy, Mad Cobra, Josey Wales and Brigadier Jerry. However the Gully Gad’s non-performance was a major disappointment to say the least. During the final hour of the show, MC and promoter Jabba paced the stage as Mavado’s band tried to set up as the final moments ticked down. Then at just a few minutes to midnight he called Mavado to the stage, then after a few moments returned to the stage to announce that due to Miami Police and curfew regulations Mavado would be unable to perform. Confused?! Most of the thousands of patrons in the park were definitely unhappy. (One eyewitness spotted a heated argument going down backstage after the unpopular announcement.) Everybody including artists, promoters, and fans and patrons (who paid as much as $170 for VIP tickets) wasted no time taking to social media to vent their frustrations. Team Boomshots was in the park too. Here’s how the drama unfolded. More After The Jump… (more…)
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R.I.P. Sting: The End of an Era in Dancehall
Remembering The Greatest One Night Reggae and Dancehall Show on Earth
When the history of dancehall music is written, 2016 will go down as the year when mainstream stars took over the worldwide pop charts using Jamaican styles and sounds. It will also be remembered as the first Boxing Day in over three decades that went down with a staging of Sting. Sad to say the legendary stage show that has seen some of the most talked about performances—and lyrical clashes—in dancehall history is no more. Just three years after celebrating Sting’s 30th anniversary with a star-studded lineup that included the return of the Don Dada Super Cat, American artists 2 Chainz and Wyclef Jean, and an epic clash between Lady Saw and Macka Diamond, Sting founder Isaiah Laing has called it quits. Despite pledging in years past that “if I am alive there will be Sting,” Laing made it official on Jamaican television’s popular show OnStage, saying that Sting has not made money in several years—despite significant investment from the likes of Josef Bogdanovich, who has since moved on to revamp another great Jamaican festival, Reggae Sumfest. Laing and his longtime partner Heavy D further noted that the artists who are big enough to draw a crowd are not willing to perform on the show. The clashes that made Sting a sort of musical heavyweight bout eventually came to be its undoing. Who can forget the time when Popcaan had to shove Blak Ryno off the stage because the other artist was “somehow” given a live microphone and allowed to rush the stage during Popcaan’s solo set back in 2012? These types of antics eventually take their toll on artist loyalty. Whether Sting will ever come back is anybody’s guess. Talk of a gospel festival sounds like a major departure from the hardcore format we have come to know and love. For the sake of those who don’t know—and the pleasure of those who do—Boomshots takes a moment to remember the best Sting had to offer. Memories After The Jump… (more…)
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Super Cat Confirmed for Reggae Sumfest 2016
The Don Dada Will Headline Reggae Night
Super Cat will make his Reggae Sumfest debut on July 23, 2016, headlining the festival’s Reggae Night in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “Our headline act on Saturday night—which is Reggae Night—will be none other than the Don Dada himself,” said Josef Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Records, which took over the well-known annual festival this year. “We just signed him today. I have a feeling this show is going to be really magical” Cat’s live performances have been few and far between, going back to Sting 2013, last year’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, and earlier this month in New York at Irie Jam’s Oracabesssa Festival. A living legend of reggae music and dancehall culture whose career built bridges into the international music industry, Cat has collaborated with artists like Heavy D, Puff Daddy, Biggie Smalls, Kriss Kross, Sugar Ray and Pharrell, to name a few, but he has remained a cornerstone of reggae music. It seems like poetic justice for Cat to make Sumfest debut on the festival’s first Reggae Night in recent memory. “Don’t let them trick the youth and keep talking about dancehall—that is a miseducation we have to straighten out that,” said Cat during an exclusive Boomshots interview in 2013. “Only thing we were playing in dancehall was reggae music. What dancehall is are venues.” Video After The Jump… (more…)
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Reggae Sumfest 2014: Party Tun Up
REGGAE SUMFEST marks changing times in dancehall, hip-hop, and the leveling of the pop playing field
Whenever the third week of July rolls around, reggae lovers know it’s that time again—the time when Reggae Sumfest takes over Mobay for 3 solid days of entertainment. Though it’s dubbed “the greatest reggae show on earth,” Sumfest has never been limited in terms of genre. Every year the organisers go all out to pull together a blend of the best homegrown and international talent. Acts such as Jay Z, Missy Elliott, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj have all graced the Sumfest stage over the past 22 years, often sharing that stage with Jamaica’s biggest stars to create once-in-a-lifetime moments that don’t happen anywhere else. Full Text After The Jump…
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Johnny Gourzong’s Reggae Sumfest Preview
Sumfest Boss Shares His Personal Highlights—And Says Octane vs Vegas Was “Blown Out of Proportion”
It’s that time of year again. As most reggae lovers around the world know by now, during the third week of July all roads lead to Montego Bay for Reggae Sumfest. And with just one more day to go before the 22nd staging of “The Greatest Reggae Show on Earth,” anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. Between Sean Paul returning to the Sumfest stage for the first time in a decade, international pop star Jason DeRulo tweeting pictures from the emergency room, and I-Octane and Mr. Vegas trading barbs like Beenie and Bounty in the ’90s, this year’s festival promises to be entertaining in more ways than one. To get the inside scoop we reached out to the big man himself, Mr. Johnny Gourzong, executive Director of Summerfest Productions, who shared his personal thoughts on which acts he’s most looking forward to—and let us in on a few possible surprises. If you can’t make it down to MoBay tomorrow night, don’t worry—you can still purchase a live stream of all the Dancehall Night action. Full Story After The Jump… (more…)
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Jillionaire’s Top Ten Tunes Of Carnival 2014
Trini Chris Lists The Ten Best For This Carnival Season
Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival has been over for about two weeks now and even still those who attended are going through some withdrawals (that the Carnival Tabanca Bunji was speaking about). Since no one has invented a time machine as yet, or the government is being sneaky as usual, we figured the next best thing is compile the ten biggest tunes from this years Carnival season. Compiled by Major Lazer’s own Jillionaire, click through to see the Top Ten Tunes Of Carnival 2014 After The Jump… (more…)
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HEAR THIS: Feel Up Radio Vol. 2 – Chicken & Beer
Jillionaire And Feel Up Records Get Us Ready For Miami
South Beach is set to host the 2014 Miami Music Week, Winter Music Conference, and ULTRA Music Festival later this month, loads of artist and industry professionals will be setting foot on Magic City. Not to be left out Jillionaire and his newly minted Feel Up Records in conjunction with Dream Live and Alienware are set to host a crazy party entitled Chicken & Beer with some surprise guests you really shouldn’t miss. Rather than put out a regular ol’ flyer, Jillionaire hooked us up with this dope mix filled with all your Caribbean favorites. Listen After The Jump… (more…)
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HEAR THIS: Chyn. Wonder Presents: Soca Warm Up Mix 2014
All Of Carnival 2014’s Soca Tunes In On Big Mix
London born, Brooklyn raised, Trinidad & Tobago adopted Chynee Wonder throws together a superb mix of Carnival 2014 hits. Everything from Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and others you may have missed are all here and available for download. You may not be in Trinidad right now, but you can at least pretend. Mix After The Jump… (more…)
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50 Tips Everyone Should Know For Carnival
Tips To Make Sure You Have A Safe And Enjoyable Carnival Experience
It’s less than one week to the greatest show on Earth, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2014. Veteran masqueraders are already descending upon the twin island republic this week along with a slew of Carnival virgins who really don’t know what they’re in for. The good folks over at Lazymas.com compiled a solid list for the first timers and a few pointers for the more seasoned. Everything from what to wear, what to eat and even how to party is all covered in these helpful tips. Check Them Out After The Jump… (more…)
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Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival Brings The Reggae
Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths, Moses Davis, and Chronixx Nice Up The Fest in Trelawny
Jamaica may be synonymous with reggae, but the island’s biggest music event in terms of its economic impact and benefit to the tourism industry is not a reggae show, but an annual three-night fete known as the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival… Video After The Jump… (more…)