KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) says that this year’s 5th Annual Dennis Brown Concert will take place on the Kingston Waterfront, on Sunday, February 23 starting at 5:00pm. 

The concert will feature “some of the biggest names in reggae music, all performing for free, in paying tribute and continuing the love and respect for the reggae icon who died on July 1, 1999” He was 42 years old.

JARIA said that the line-up also includes Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Jah Cure, Tony Rebel, Big Youth,  Johnny Clarke, Suga, Exco Levi, Dalton Harris, Nature, Iba Mahr, Phillip Fraser, Prophesy, King Sounds, Georgia Henry, Mala Brown, Stranjah Cole, Junior Sinclair, Sangie Davis, Brian Gold, Dalton Brownie, Macka Ruffin, and surprise performers all backed by Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band, Warrior Love, Chinna Smith and the Inna De Yard Crew, and Genesis.

In addition Teejah Prayze, “Song for Jamaica” contest winner, 2013, will be coming in from the United Kingdom to perform on the show, JARIA said in a release. 

Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Julian ‘Jingles’ Reynolds, CEO of Sounds & Pressure said the main intent of the annual concert as the highlight of Reggae Month is to reposition Kingston, in particular, west Kingston and downtown Kingston as the Mecca of Reggae music, “the place where a culture originated that has captured the emotions of music lovers globally. And we intend to see it grow as a major tourism attraction for Jamaica.”

This year a VIP section is being introduced, and a J$5,000 contribution for access to this section will go towards the Dennis Brown Trust which continues to provide scholarships to several children attending the Central Branch Primary school in west Kingston to get a college education. Brown was a stickler for a sound education for the children of west Kingston.