Following the high of the summer season, many local reggae and dancehall acts have returned to Jamaica after performances on the festivals in Europe and North America.

The availability of these acts has given rise to a number of small, live performances series primarily in the Corporate Area and now spreading to other areas of the country.

The Behind the Screen series staged at Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records is now in its second season.

The initial staging saw acts such as Tessanne Chin, Wayne Wonder, Assassin and others performing to much acclaim.

This year’s event kicked off three weeks ago with the popular Kabaka Pyramid and continued last week with Sizzla Kalonji. Come tomorrow, singjay I-Octane is set to take to the stage.

Meanwhile come Wednesday, King of the Dancehall Beanie Man, will add his flair to another concert series, Live in the City, held at the CRU bar, also in the Corporate Area.

This series, the brainchild of Andre Marriott-Blake, has already had two stagings with Konshens,and Tarrus Riley exciting audiences.

“I decided on a live music format because I wanted the show to capture and highlight the music in its truest and rawest form. A live music format in an intimate space like CRU gives the audience an up-close look,” he explained.

For Marriott-Blake, he found this kind of entertainment was lacking as a regular staple in Kingston.

“We are used to stage shows with the major acts, but we rarely get to see them in an intimate up close and personal setting where everyone is a VIP.”

Wednesday’s staging will support both the Lupus Foundation as well as Sickle Cell Foundation with this being Sickle Cell Awareness Month and the headliner Beenie Man himself is afflicted with Sickle Cell Anemia.

When one thought the live music scene could not take any more ‘intimate performances’ in comes On Tour.

This series takes ‘big acts to small venues’ accross the island.

The first tour saw crooner Tarrus Riley making stops in Montego Bay Ocho Rios Mandeville and Portmore before wrapping up at the Little Theatre in St Andrew last Monday.

Come next month, sibling regggae band Morgan Heritage will go On Tour at locations to be announced.

Marriott-Blake is not concerned that the market will become saturated with all these live music events. In fact he feels the more talent is highlighted, the better it will be for the music.

“Each establishment, and each show has it’s own unique appeal and target. We don’t see it as competition,” he said.