KINGSTON, Jamaica – Dancehall DJ Mavado has never been identified as a regionalist, though he has performed throughout the Caribbean and collaborated with soca artistes.

This weekend, the singjay reaches out to his Caribbean brethren as promoter of League Weekend, a two-day show at the Amazura Nightclub in Queens, New York.

Friday’s opening night is a dancehall showcase with Mavado as headliner, alongside Spice, Vershon and I-Octane.

On Saturday, it is an all-soca affair. Barbadian Alison Hinds, Trinidad’s Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons and Lyrikal will perform.

Mavado, 34, first held the show in 2014. It was dubbed ‘Darkness’ and featured deejay Alkaline.

This year, he went for diversity.

“People might sey dem neva know Mavado into soca but from it coming from the Caribbean wi support it,” said Mavado.

One of his latest songs is Bad Rule, a soca number he did with Lyons, one of the genre’s biggest stars.

“It a kick up inna Trinidad…a mad thing,” he said.

While he is open to experimenting with different sounds, Mavado honours his hardcore dancehall roots on most of his upcoming releases which are expected to be part of a new album in 2016.

One of them, Tatoo, is self-produced for his Mansion Records. So Bazzle, another new track, is produced by Trevor ‘Baby G’ James.

Best known for songs like Weh Dem A Do, On The Rock and Delilah, Mavado has spent much of the past five years working with a number of hip hop and neo-soul acts such as Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Ludacris and Akon.

His previous album, Mr Brooks…A Better Tomorrow, was released in 2009. 

Howard Campbell