Benaiah @ Ft. Lauderdale Jerk Fest

BENAIAH Delivers Roots Rock Reggae

Inside the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival
Words and photos by M. Peggy Quattro

Joseph Benaiah

The 8th annual Jerk Fest was a major success, rammed with more than 15,000 South Florida fans and 60 food, art and crafts, and corporate booths. The weather was perfect and Markham Park, a beautiful spacious park in west Broward County, was overflowing with family fun, food, and live music.

The fest began at 10 a.m. and the music kicked off around 5PM. The Benaiah Band backed the opening acts, which included LG and Ambilique, before veteran musician, performer and producer Dean Fraser thrilled the crowd with his stellar tenor and soprano sax talents on such standards as “I Believe in You and Me” and “Dance with My Father Again.” Continue reading

The Harder They Come Musical in Miami

THE HARDER THEY COME – OPENING NIGHT BENEFITS THE JAMAICAN CHILDREN’S HEART FUND

 By M. Peggy Quattro
Photos by Lynn Dearing

The Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund (JCHF) successfully benefited from the opening night performance of the smash hit musical, The Harder They Come, based on Perry Henzell’s legendary 1972 movie starring Jimmy Cliff. The South Florida-based JCHF sold hundreds of tickets for the Sat., August 29, 2009, performance at the beautiful Ziff Ballet Opera House, inside Arsht Performing Arts Centre, Miami, FL, and a portion of the ticket price went to this worthy cause.

Carolyn Soutar, Winston Stoner, Laura Marley, Chris Marley, Don Parchment, Diana Marley, M Peggy Quattro

For the hundreds of Jamaicans, Americans, and international patrons in attendance, the cast of The Harder They Come sang and danced their way into the hearts of the cheerful crowd. Live music was provided by an outstanding band of live musicians cleverly positioned as part of the stage set. Together with the entire cast, they performed popular songs from the original movie that have become world-famous anthems include “Many Rivers To Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Pressure Drop,” “Sweet and Dandy,” and “Sitting in Limbo.” The audience was brought to their feet to sing along when the cast came on stage to end the show with a rousing version of “The Harder They Come.”
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DubFest Brings Old & New Together – Lee “Scratch” Perry

DubFest 2009 Highlights!  Lee “Scratch” Perry

Set to Deliver Spiritual Healing
By Tina Pace
Ranked in the top 100 of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Lee “Scratch” Perry considers himself a new being, anxious to spread the healing, spiritual energy of his music at DubFest, Sept. 5, in Hollywood, Florida.

At the ripe age of 73 years young, Scratch Perry’s outlook is fresher than ever. When asked how the youth will respond to his show, he replied, “people seek redemption through the show. They want spiritual healing, spiritual music.” Perry will be returning to his home country of Jamaica to “refresh and restart” himself. Perry’s passion for life and nature is evident in his songs and through his words. He warns not to curse from where you came or burn any bridges because, in the end, everything comes back full-circle.

Once a self-proclaimed cannibal, Scratch says, “I changed my being and returned to myself and from the animal race.” He accepts the spiritual blessings in his life and rejects the unnecessary material existence in his world, “Rock stone is my chair,” he claims, “silver and gold is nothing. God is nature and God punishes them that are filled with greed.” Continue reading

DubFest is Coming

Kona Beer presents DubFest Saturday, Sept. 5th

Featuring the legendary Bunny Wailer

Bunny Wailer headlines DubFest

Florida’s new premier music festival DubFest is about to set fire on the festival scene featuring artists like Bunny Wailer and Lee “Scratch” Perry that span the generations of Reggae, ska and alternative music. DubFest hits Hollywood ArtsPark in downtown Hollywood, FL on Saturday, September 5, 2009.  “The one day music and arts event marks a celebration of the beach and ocean culture that South Florida has been waiting for,” said Jesse Stoll, AEG Live operations coordinator.  Continue reading

JA Vintage Music Fest with Gregory Isaacs

Gregory Isaacs, John Holt and Frankie Paul – Classic Reggae!

Great Vocalists Rule at the Jamaica Vintage Independence Celebration

Review by M. Peggy Quattro
Photos by Lynn Dearing and M. Peggy Quattro

Photo M. Peggy Quattro

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – The Jamaica Vintage Music Fest is becoming one of the must-see shows in South Florida. In celebration of Jamaica’s Independence, a group of the island’s finest singers came together for a night of true niceness.

From Rock Steady to Dancehall to the Cool Ruler himself, Club Cinema was packed with an all-ages audience eager for the music and ready to dance! Continue reading