Dallas, Texas Apr 18, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - Wow!! I don’t know where to start, Carmelita Harris and I went on the Mikey Dread 10th Anniversary Pilgrimage to Jamaica March 2018. It was kind of like flying by the seat of our pants, as all the problems in Jamaica, State of Emergency etc., put everyone on edge. My cousins DJ Culture C, Blakka, Roddy and the guys hailing from Montego Bay is off the Island touring in Europe. They actually, helped create the anxiety LOL… they were worried about my safety, since they were not going to be in Jamaica when we arrive. I was not worried at all, until I could hear the unsettling of nerves in them. So going in, not really knowing what to expect, put me off a little and planning off also, as in the current climate, you have to be careful in your movements for safety reasons. Therefore it was their idea not to advertise, advertise, and advertise as I normally do. I actually thought to just cancel show. But after talking to Abijah and hearing his ease, we decided to go forth with it. I am so happy we did, for more reasons than one.
Give Thanks Abijah, Colleeno and Jason for your presence. J And give thanks to Mellon for his presence. Once I started posting pictures, and my family saw, Abijah and Mellon’s presence and then Lenni I and Basil, they all settled down and relaxed a bitJ. I have been in Jamaica when they were off Island, but with the State of Emergency going on, it made it different for everyone and they just wanted me protected. You know family love is just so amazing. J
Funny, we were riding down Mavis Bank and coming into Gordon Town, Carmelita was filming and taking pictures, then she stopped when we came into Papine and a congested area, I am like “why you stopped filming?” she said “I don’t want to get him in trouble” I am like looking at Mellon in the driver’s seat and laughing, I am like Mellon “do she need to stop filming?” Mellon said “look at me, where I am you can film or take pictures anywhere” then he laughed that boom laugh of his and Carmelita kept filming. Yes, a great and safe pilgrimage. J
So the next day singer Ra Deal https://www.facebook.com/ra.deal.18 came through and I told him the story, and he started laughing and he say “Yeh Mon” safe to do what you wish with Mellon around. LOL.
Give Thanks Ra Deal for coming by and bigging us up. Ra Deal so busy these days working on a project with a South African icon. J hint, hint, not spilling the beans, but good things ahead for Ra Deal so stay tuned work.
Port Antonio:
Singer Lenni I came down to Kingston to collect us and take us to Port Antonio, it’s a long trip, but a beautiful one. The coastline from Kingston to Port Antonio is just beautiful. We first went to visit Mikey’s resting place to pay our respect and then to eat nice ital food and on to Bikini beach, where we met up Basil Cunningham and an unexpected occurrence meeting with Mikey’s teacher Mr. Michael Fullstone J he taught Physics and Science and spoke highly of Mikey, he said he never doubted that Mikey would have made an impact on the world. He was a character as a child and very smart. J It was nice to see Basil and listening to stories of yesterday years about Mikey and even Glen Washington came up here and there. Why do everyone always ask me “you know Glen was a drummer” Teehee, like I just met Glen... Yes people I know Glen was a drummer and I know Joseph taught him... but Thanks for keep reminding me. And from there we went to Axx studios and met up with Devon (who also played with Mikey) also, Jerry Harris was there, wow!!! Just by chance, what a surprise. J I guess a lot of us had the same thing in mind, to be in Jamaica during Mikey’s 10th anniversary, simply amazing.
At AXX studio, we had the pleasure of hearing new works that will be coming out soon of lenni I’s so get ready world. J Lenni I is steady as they come. He has a style that is so soothing, I call it the Lenni I Port Antonio vibe, because it is laid back and relaxing to the soul… It is just FUNTASTIC to hang out with Lenni in his home base and just take in his coolness. Another great talent!!!!!!! Untapped! Waiting to buss loose. Lenni I is like Abijah, they will be a staple in Reggae Music for years to come, their type of music is not hit and miss, or hit and quit, it’s the type like Peter Tosh, Bob and Mikey – it will be listened to for years to come, generation to generation. It helps that their actual cool personas fit their natural style of music. J Cool Reggae Rhythms.
https://www.facebook.com/lennii.music
Kingston:
We landed in Kingston Jamaica on a Saturday and was collected by the crew Abijah, Jason and Mellon, so far so good, we commence to go up in the Hills of St. Andrew and all was still well, two days to just dust off the U.S. from our minds and rest and relax. What a pilgrimage it was, just hanging out with Abijah them in the hills is always wonderful, I can just relax, be myself, act silly all the things we use to do with Mikey. Much, much jokes, I know it was only JAH’s direction that sent Abijah to us to help on this quest to keep Mikey Dread’s dream alive. Giving Thanks day and night for this opportunity to work with this amazing Artist Abijah… He is the one to pull the thing together in Kingston and JAH knows, I could not have asked for a better event, crowd wise we will work on, what they lacked in size, they made up in enthusiasm, audience positive ecstatic responses, it was just great!!. They were singing right along with every singer and adding their own little remarks to the performance like “do the thing man” Teehee.. I just loved it!
This was the 1st Annual Mikey Dread event, so you know we will work on the attendance for future events. But the Talent lawd!!!! The house was packed full of talent, Jamaican raw talent, the Band Legend was just so AWESOME!!!! Give Thanks, the performances, were just bringing me to tears, as I know Mikey would have been so touched by it all, and in his honor. Mikey Dread made a definite impact in the world of Reggae and this needs to be recognized.
Let’s explore the Legend band, man they kick, it reminds me so much of yester years like in Alton Ellis days, if I say it once, I will say it again, Jamaica is NOT short of anyone musically. Both players of music and singers! If we would have put this same show on in the U.S that we did at the Comfitanya in Kingston, it would have surely cost an arm and leg in the states to see. Abijah them put on a magnificently awe inspiring show, it had us constantly moving, they were not just singing, they were dancing, they made us laugh with their skits, it is just FUNTASTIC!!! They most definitely entertained us and so reminiscent of a Mikey Dread concert, he always gave his all. And then just when you thought ok that is it... Here comes Emmanuel Chin, https://www.facebook.com/emmanuel.chin.71 hitting us with some Dennis Brown tunes! Loving up the women in the audience... heck I was even swooning!!!!! The man has definite charisma... And Rance is like an energizing bunny, that man is constantly moving and singing all the while heating up the audience with his rendition of Mikey Dread’s Barber Salon… Mikey would have just loved the performance. And little Andre with the golden voice, he was just too much and you think that voice from that little guy, teehee what fun it was. And Delly Max, https://www.facebook.com/delly.max.50 lawd!!!!!!! What can I say, first I was shocked, I was looking at my camera trying to see why the pictures were so dark and I hear this boom voice and bam there he was Delly Max, Money Money J in a dancehall stylez.. I am like where the heck these guys been!!!
And you don’t know that the honor of having Actor/Singer Jerome Sage Butler MC sing and a powerful Dub Poet, Artist is a delight. For years, I have been trying to catch Sage performance, last year was my first time to witness his performance, so when we came up with the Anniversary event, I had to have him involved without a doubt. https://www.facebook.com/jerome.s.butler
Such untapped talent. U.S. so focused on all the recycled after recycled talent they forget to come back to the well of Jamaica Reggae and collect fresh water...
Abijah is Abijah https://www.facebook.com/abijahmusic
Never a hit and miss, he keeps revamping himself, moving back and forward between, Reggae Culture, Lovers Rock and hitting hard R&B and Soul.. This man here can do it all. And do it with such ease make it so much fun for the audience, oh yeah he is constantly talking to the audience getting them involved and making us laugh... Teehee... I absolutely cannot express to you what a great show this was… Hopefully, Carmelita them got it all on film. J Surely would like to share with the world, what we experienced, I was thinking the Abijah Review. J He is just simply amazing! https://www.facebook.com/abijahmusic
There was so much going on and so many people we saw, it would take me to write a book of 500 plus pages to tell you all that happened. J And I will in time.
But just for now, I want to say give Thanks for everyone for making this 10th Anniversary Mikey Dread pilgrimage a huge success, we are looking forward to meeting up with you all next year for Port Antonio Mikey Dread celebration March 16, 2019 and Kingston the following week.
Give thanks for the hospitality of: Adrian Miller, Sankofa, Dub School, Miguel place up in the hills and all the places in between and Mr. John, thanks for carting me around Kingston along with Mellon. Also thanks to singers Aza lineage https://www.facebook.com/Lineage-Family-1142554565772378/ and Isha Bel for introducing yourselves and forwarding your music for the DJS’ air play, very nice to meet you.
Oh forgot teehee: Thanks to Freddie McGregor for his patience in us crashing his Dominoe game.. lol and Movado!!!! That’s all I have to say.. Nah really thanks for being a trooper and FYAH GEORGE https://www.facebook.com/fyah.george – Ever Burning FYAH!!! Keep that fire burning darling.
Ben up https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=franklyn%20benup%20irving my favorite producer in Kingston, gift thanks for making an appearance! Jah blessings all the time.
Great performance Shanique Marie!!!!! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
This will be continued………………
One love all the time…
Queen Mushiya
Radio DJ KNON 89.3 Irie FM Radio Dallas
Publicist and Freelance Reggae Entertainer Writer
Media Contact
Mushiya Jobe PR Svc Mojamaica2@gmail.com
