DC World Reggae Festival to mark Jamaica 60
Published:Saturday | July 23, 2022 | 12:05 AM
WASHINGTON, DC:
Washington, DC is set to come alive with the staging of the second annual DC World Reggae Festival, to be held at the RFK Festival grounds on August 20 and 21, just days after the conclusion of Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.
The two-day festival being staged by Top Tier Management Group in partnership with Pumpstation Entertainment, will celebrate and honour Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence.
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The event is scheduled to be launched by Jamaica’s Ambassador to Washington Audrey Marks on August 19 at the Jamaican Embassy. It will form part of the activities to celebrate Jamaica’s 60 throughout the DMV, which comprises the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
Event organisers Omar Stephenson and Hector Carter say the DC World Reggae Festival is a family-friendly event that promotes “world peace” with this year’s theme, ‘Let there be Peace on Earth’, covering the topics of love, unity, spiritual rejuvenation, and health awareness. The promoters say the event will include a kid zone, two stages, and local vendors.
It will feature international entertainers, among them reggae artistes Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Etana, Third World, Ras Slick, Jah Works, and Nkula.
Afrobeats artiste 2-Face as well as soca artistes Kerwin Dubois and Rupee will also hit the stage alongside local and international DJs Rennastone, Ricky Platinum, Prince Royal, Trigga Half Krazy, DJ-Trini, G-Nice, Selassie Sound, DJ-Tempo, DJ-Suparoy and DJ-Majestic.
The festival, which blossomed from ‘Caribbean Live’ at The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, will cater not only to Jamaicans, but also to Caribbean, African and urban audiences.
In commenting on the origins of the festival, Stephenson reminisced that “The DC World Reggae Festival has been a dream of mine for many years. To see the growth and acceptance of the community is heartwarming. I aim to give the greater community a taste of Caribbean music and emphasise our call for unity and peace”.
“DC is a city that attracts so many from around the world, and this festival will embody the essence of our Caribbean culture. We are an infectious people! To do this while celebrating Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary brings me and my team so much joy,” he said.
“On August 20-21, DC will experience Caribbean greatness. We have curated a unique experience that we believe displays our talent and culture. We want to thank all of our supporters over the years, and we look forward to celebrating with the community at the DC World Reggae Festival,” says co-organiser Carter.