Top Jamaican entertainers at music festival

Dancehall singer Lady Saw poses at Westwood Gallery in New York.
Dancehall singer Lady Saw poses at Westwood Gallery in New York.
AP Photo/Jim Cooper

By Chudi Chukwudi

Following a rich tradition of bringing the best concerts to Brooklyn for years, the producers of the 5th Annual Brooklyn Music Festival returns with a lineup that is sure to please the Caribbean masses.

Presented by Western Union, the fifth Annual Brooklyn Music Festival is schedule for Saturday, July 28 at Pulse48 Outdoor Complex (located at 1020 East 48th Street – corner of Farragut Road). Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m.

The biggest show in New York City is set to go down in Brooklyn, N.Y. as Jammins Entertainment and Shell Cartel sought out the hottest acts to truly celebrate the diversity of Caribbean music.

Confirmed artist are Jamaica’s Gully God –Mavado and the Queen of Dancehall – Lady Saw. Mavado is arguably the hottest Caribbean Dancehall artist to date. With a plethora of current and chart topping hits including – “One by One,” “Delilah,” “Gangsta for Life,” “I’m So Special,” “Come Into My Room,” “Last Night” and many more.

With a catalog of songs such as “If him Lef,” “Stab up the Meat” and “I’ve Got your Man,” the queen of the dancehall, Lady Saw has consistently pushed the boundaries of dancehall with her slack and girl power lyrics. However, her song “Give Me A Reason” can attest that the queen is not all about slackness. Lady Saw’s collaboration with the group No Doubt rendered her a Grammy in 2003 for the smash hit, “Underneath It All.”

Mavado and Lady Saw will be joined on stage by friends from both the soca and dancehall worlds, such as soca’s leading lady Denise Belfon, carnival sensation Blaxx, reggae upstart M-Gee, Kuttra with a few surprises also planned for concert-goers.

The Brooklyn Music Festival is sponsored by Western Union, GraceKennedy Remittance Services, Moscato, Backdoor and Liberty Star Newspaper.