Ask any New York based reggae/dancehall performer and they will tell you they don’t get much opportunity to ‘get a buss’ on the major reggae concerts that are staged in the tri-state area. Irie Jamboree that is staged each year on Labor Day Sunday in Queens, NY is the exception.
From the inaugural Irie Jamboree in 2003, local acts like Ky-eenie, Stephen Souza, Ragga Lox, Nodia Rose, Alibra, Capital, Benniton and Donavon Banzana have had the opportunity to grace the Irie Jamboree stage alongside superstar like Sean Paul, Beenieman, Shabba, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Cham, Wayne Wonder, Luciano and Jr. Gong Marley.
This year’s on Sunday, August 31, 2008, Irie Jamboree will again feature a stellar cast of rising stars including Elvis D, a singer who own’s one of the hottest singles right now – “Party Time” that has made an impact on radio in New York, Florida, Atlanta and Connecticut. The track – the lead single from his debut album “Perfect Vibes,” went as far as the #2 position on the Weekly Star Top Ten Chart in the USA and is being rotated on all the leading reggae programs in New York including Irie Jam Radio and Culture Jam Radio.
A few week months ago, Elvis was invited to be a special guest performer at the Reebok Grand Prix where Olympic champion Usain ‘Lighting’ Bolt broke the world record in the 100 meter with a mind blowing 9.72 seconds. New York METS fans at the Atlanta Braves game at Shea Stadium in New York also enjoy a pre-game performance by Elvis and popular singer Richie Stephens who both performed at the ‘Caribbean Night at Shea’ awards and pre-game show.
The Queen of Canadian reggae Tanya Mullings, recipient of 14 Canadian Reggae Music Awards (CRMA), 7 Caribbean Crucible Awards, 4 Juno Nominations and 2 Reggae Music Achievement Awards (RMAA) is another rising star slated to perform at Irie Jamboree. Tanya Mullings, who has performed at several international festivals including Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica and the Montreal Reggae Festival in Quebec is the second daughter of the late Karl Mullings, forefather of Canadian Reggae and a co-founder of the world renowned Caribana. With a number of documentaries airing in Canada on Tanya and the Mullings Family history, her manager and sister Carrie said is proud to have a member of Canada’s 1st Family of Reggae on the 2008 lineup for Irie Jamboree.
Another young star who is making a name in the industry is Prestige, a talented artiste who is climbing musical heights to carve out his niche. Born and raised in Clarks Town, Trelawny, Prestige had an instant affinity for music. It has been a long, difficult road but his love of music is his main motivating force. Since his emergence on the scene Prestige has shared the stage with artiste such as Anthony B, Luciano and the late Dennis Brown. His performances has taken him to the USA, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Maarteen, St Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago, while in Jamaica he has performed at some of the biggest shows including Sting, Sunsplash and Trelawny Jamboree. Prestige currently has a 12 track album which include singles ‘My Pride’, ‘We Nuh Trust Dem’, ‘Miss you Mama’, ‘She’s Mine Tonight’ and ‘Tender Loving. Look for more performances, and his uncompromising positive lyrics for the rest of 2008.
Other confirmed acts at Irie Jamboree include Mavado, King Yellow, Beenieman, Alison Hinds, the “Queen of Soca,” Coco Tea, Sizzla, Elephant Man and rising reggae stars Serani, Admiral Bailey, Bugle, DeMarco, Konshens, Tanya Mullings, Little Hero, RDX, Ragga Lox, Empire Isis, Benny Bwoy, Lushy Banton and others.
